If you’ve worked hard to create your website, you’re probably going to want to get some traffic onto it. After all, you put up your site so you can start getting more leads and customers to your business, right? Before you reach for your wallet on ads, I want to show you some great ways to advertise your website for free.
This guide breaks down practical, proven ways to advertise your website so you can grow your audience, improve your search visibility, and actually build a brand people remember. Whether you’re just starting out or need to refresh your current strategy, you’ll find down-to-earth tactics (zero fluff) that actually get results.
Can you really advertise your website for free?
You can advertise your website for free, and it’ll require some creativity, consistency, and strategic effort. While paid advertising can bring quick results, there are several effective ways to increase your website’s visibility without spending a dime.
Besides, just because you can spend to advertise your website, it doesn’t always translate into new customers. By focusing on these free ways to get traffic to your website and business, you’re in a much better position to experiment with different tactics and strategies until you figure out what works best for your own business.
Now let’s move on to some actionable strategies that’ll actually get you free traffic to your website.
5 free ways to advertise your website
1. Advertise your website for free on social media
You don’t need a marketing degree or massive ad budget to advertise your website for free. One of the fastest (and cheapest!) ways to reach more people is already on your phone.
Social media is where your customers are scrolling, clicking, and connecting. So if your business isn’t showing up there, you’re missing out.
I see this all the time with small business owners: juggling clients, admin, and actual work leaves social media strategy on the backburner. But dropping just 15-30 minutes a week into smart posting can bring a steady stream of visitors to your website who already want what you’re offering.
Why does social media matter for your website traffic?
Social media turns your website from a static destination into part of a daily conversation. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn help you build trust before someone even hits your homepage. It’s referral traffic that can consistently deliver if done right.
- Facebook: Great for local reach, community posts, and event highlights
- Instagram: Perfect for product photos, reels, and behind-the-scenes content
- LinkedIn: Best if you’re B2B, offer services, or want to establish expertise
What kind of content should you be sharing?
If you’re only posting sales pitches, people will keep scrolling. Give them something worth their time. Ask yourself: what would make my audience stop and pay attention?
- Listicles or posts that actually solve problems
- Short videos showing your process or product in action
- Carousels or graphics with tips and stats
- Personal wins or client stories that show real results
Don’t worry about going viral. Your goal is to show up consistently, offer value, and make it easy for people to visit your site when they’re ready to take action.
How can hashtags and targeting boost your reach?
Without hashtags or targeted posting, your content disappears into the void. But when you use them right, they funnel the right eyeballs to your posts-and eventually to your site.
- Use 10-30 hashtags per post on Instagram. Mix trending, niche, and branded ones.
- On LinkedIn, tag people or companies when relevant and post at peak times (Tues-Thurs, morning to midday).
- Facebook Groups and Pages can spark engagement in communities tied to your niche.
I’ve seen Bookipi users plug their website link directly in socials using short captions and good visuals. Paired with hashtags like #freelancerlife or #smallbusinesssupport, it sends warm traffic straight to their websites.
What results can you expect by posting on social media?
Social media isn’t a quick fix. But done right, it builds steady momentum. Here’s what small business owners can usually experience after a few weeks of consistent posting:
- More qualified website visits from people who’ve already “met” your brand on social
- Higher engagement (likes, shares, DMs) leading to direct customer conversations
- Brand recognition in your niche, even if you’re just starting
Start by posting twice a week. Keep it real. Use tools like Buffer or Later to schedule ahead. And always drop your website in your bio and posts.
If you want people to find your site, social media is where the journey begins. Make it easy for them.
2. List your site on local business directories
When you’re trying to advertise your website for free as a small business owner or freelancer, showing up in the right place matters. Being listed on local business directories like Google Business Profile, Yelp, and Bing Places isn’t just about being found, it’s about being trusted.
Your future customers are already searching for services like yours. If you’re not popping up in local maps or search results, you’re handing over traffic to competitors who are. Plain and simple.
Which directories should you care about?
Start with the big ones, then go niche. Here’s where you’ll want your site to show up:
- Google Business Profile: This gets you visibility on Google Maps and local search.
- Yelp: Great for credibility and customer reviews.
- Bing Places: Still powers searches for millions of people, especially on Microsoft Edge.
- Industry-specific listings: Think Avvo for lawyers, Houzz for home services, or TripAdvisor for travel pros.
These listings do more than just slap your business on a map. They push relevance in search results, rank you higher for local queries, and help browsers become buyers with reviews, ratings, and photos in one place.
Keep your NAP consistent. Always.
NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone. This is information you’ll need to put into these online directories.
Search engines can be picky about trust signals. If your Name, Address, and Phone don’t match across every listing, they begin to doubt your legitimacy. That doubt hurts rankings and gives crawlers a reason to skip you.
Here’s a quick checklist to clean things up:
- Use the exact business name across every directory. No abbreviations. No extra words.
- Double-check your business location and phone number for typos or formatting glitches.
- If you move or update a number, change it everywhere at once.
Optimize listings like you would your website
Your listing on these directories can also use some SEO best practices to help you with your goal to advertise your website for free. Don’t forget to:
- Include your top 2-3 keywords in the business description.
- Add photos that tell your brand story-team shots, workspace, product/service in action.
- Use your website URL in every listing, ideally linking to your homepage or a service-specific page.
- Collect high-quality reviews and respond to every one of them-yes, even the annoying ones.
This isn’t just about SEO either. It’s about showing your brand is active, accessible, and paying attention. That’s what builds real trust fast.
3. Implement SEO best practices
If you’re running a small business or freelancing solo, there’s a good chance you want more leads without ramping up ad spend. That’s where search engine optimization (SEO) comes in.
It gets your site seen in search engines like Google when people are actively searching for what you offer. More visibility means more organic website traffic. No need to compete with big-budget brands buying up paid ads.
But how does it actually work? SEO helps search engines understand what your website is about so they can show it to the right people. When done right, it’s one of the most cost-effective ways to advertise your website.
What on-page SEO changes should I make right now?
You don’t need to be a tech wizard to start implementing best practices to get seen on Google. These are the SEO steps I usually recommend to small business owners who are tight on time and resources:
- Meta titles and descriptions: These short pieces of text help Google understand your page and entice people to click. Make sure every page has a unique, keyword-rich title and a direct, helpful description.
- Keyword optimization: Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ubersuggest to find terms your audience is searching for-like “website traffic” or “search engine visibility.” Then weave them naturally into your headers, body copy, image alt text, and even URLs.
- Mobile responsiveness: More than 60% of searches happen on phones. If your site doesn’t work well on mobile, Google will ding you in search rankings. Bookipi’s templates are mobile-friendly from the jump, so you don’t have to sweat the coding.
Are you targeting local customers? Then local SEO is your best friend.
If you’re running a local bakery, cleaning service, or consulting gig, showing up in “near me” searches can be a big boost for your business. Local SEO helps you climb the local results that show up before traditional search listings.
- Set up a Google Business Profile: It’s free and lets you show up in map searches with reviews, photos, and direct links to your website.
- Mention your location: Sprinkle your city or neighborhood name throughout your content, page titles, and meta data.
- Encourage reviews: Ask satisfied customers to leave reviews on Google. Star ratings boost credibility and ranking.
4. Try recruiting influencers in your industry to advertise your website
If you’re looking to advertise your website without adding 10 more tabs to your marketing to-do list, partnering with influencers in your niche can bring in the right kind of traffic: people ready to click, buy, and come back.
As much as 69% of consumers have shared that they trust an influencer’s recommendations on social media, so this could be a valuable way to get organic word of mouth about your business and brand.
The trick? You don’t need to chase big-name influencers with millions of followers. Nano- to micro-influencers (think 1,000 to 100,000 followers) often bring higher engagement, stronger niche authority, and better ROI-for a much friendlier price tag.
Can you work with influencers for free?
If you target the right influencers and come prepared with a great deal in mind, you might just be able to score some influencer partnerships for free. Let’s face it, not every business can afford to pay influencers thousands of dollars.
At the same time, not every influencer refuses to work with brands for free. Some creators are just starting out and trying to build their portfolios by working with businesses in your industry. If you can find them, you might be able to come with a win-win partnership for both parties.
How do you pick the right influencer?
- Look past follower counts. Check their comments section. Are people engaging like a real community? That’s your goldmine.
- Check for alignment. Their tone, values, and topics should feel like an extension of your own brand. If they talk about freelancing, and you help freelancers get paid? That’s a match.
- Vet their audience demographics. Ask for analytics like location, age, and engagement rate. You want their followers to overlap with your ideal customer base.
What kinds of influencer content works best?
- Authentic reviews or endorsements: A short video showing how your product helps them run their biz faster? Instant credibility.
- Shoutouts in stories or posts: Especially on Instagram, where daily shoutouts feel native and conversational.
- Giveaways or discount codes: A limited-time collaboration helps motivate action, especially during launch periods.
- Joint lives or events: Going live together and addressing audience questions can give you a shared boost in credibility.
What results can I expect from working with influencers?
If you’ve picked the right partner and offered something valuable, you can see some clear gains:
- Referral traffic spikes within hours of content going live.
- Lower bounce rates because people arrive with context and intent.
- Better brand awareness, especially in tight-knit communities where everyone tags, shares, and talks.
If time is tight (and when isn’t it?), start small. DM a few nano- and micro-influencers in your space and propose a win-win: exposure for them, relevant traffic for you. That’s one of the fastest ways to advertise your website to a warm, ready-to-convert crowd.
5. Use video marketing to help advertise your website
Video marketing gets your message across faster and more effectively than blocks of text. Want more eyes on your website? Start with short, snackable videos that show what your brand is all about.
I’m talking about product explainer videos, quick tutorials, customer shoutouts, or even behind-the-scenes clips. Videos let people connect with your business in real time, making your website feel more human and relatable.
Here’s why this matters: 88% of video marketers say video has helped them generate leads. And if you’re trying to rank higher on Google? YouTube is owned by Google, so uploading there gives you a direct line to potential organic traffic as well.
What types of videos can you use to advertise your website?
- Product demos: Show off real use cases. No better proof than seeing your product in action.
- Customer success stories: Let your happy clients do the talking. Their words mean more than a sales pitch ever could.
- FAQ videos: Answer common questions customers might be asking about things in your industry or about your business. These videos aren’t just useful, they’re also shareable.
- Behind-the-scenes clips: Build trust by showing what’s really going on inside your business.
Where should you publish your videos?
- YouTube: Great for longer content that’s evergreen-plus, YouTube videos show up in Google search.
- TikTok: Use trending sounds or filters to increase reach. Short format, high virality.
- Your own website: Embed key videos on landing pages, your “About” page, or product pages to keep people around longer.
How to make your videos searchable
Don’t forget the SEO side of things. If you want your videos to actually work for you in search results, do this:
- Use target keywords in your video title, description, and file name
- Add captions to boost accessibility and watch-time
- Include links back to your website or landing page in the description
All of this leads to what we’re really after: more time spent on your page, higher engagement, and better conversion potential. Google notices when people stick around. So give them a reason to stay through visuals that resonate, rather than walls of text they’re probably skipping.
So if you’re asking how to advertise your website in a way people actually enjoy consuming-start recording. You don’t need studio-quality gear. You just need a clear message, some steady lighting, and a reason for people to care.
How do you track results with website analytics?
If you’re trying to advertise your website for free, and you aren’t keeping an eye on the data, you’re flying blind. Numbers don’t lie, and they tell you exactly where your traffic is coming from, what’s working, and what needs a rethink.
Two tools I always recommend to business owners at Bookipi? Google Analytics and Google Search Console.
Why Google Analytics and Search Console matter
When you plug Google Analytics into your site, you can see:
- Where your visitors are coming from-social media, email, search engines, or direct
- How they behave while on your site-which pages they visit and how long they stay
- What actually leads to conversions-so you can double down on what works
Google Search Console gives you visibility on:
- Which keywords bring visitors to your site
- Click-through rates from search results
- Site performance and indexing, so your web pages show up correctly on Google
The good news? Bookipi’s AI Website Builder lets you connect your website to a free Google Analytics account in just a few clicks. No coding, no complicated setup. After connecting your site, you’ll then start seeing:
- How many people visit your website
- Which marketing channels bring the most traffic
- Real-time behavior trends to shape your content and campaigns
This means you can run smarter ads, rank better on search, and adjust your targeting without wasting time or budget.
How Bookipi helps you optimize your site for search, minus the headache
Bookipi’s AI Website Builder comes with built-in SEO tools baked right in. You get prompts to add keywords, auto-formatted mobile pages, and structured meta data, without needing to know a single line of code. You focus on your business. We handle the search engine side.
Want your website to show up when it matters most? Then SEO isn’t optional. It’s your long-term play for driving steady, targeted, free website traffic.
What’s the best way to advertise your website without burning out?
The smartest way to advertise your website without trying to do it all is by choosing two or three strategies that match your needs, your time, and your budget, then doing those consistently.
I’ve talked to hundreds of small business owners who feel like they’re drowning just keeping up with their day-to-day. If that’s you, the last thing you need is a 15-point checklist to “optimize your funnel” or some other marketing buzzword that sounds exhausting.
You don’t need to post daily or blog weekly to grow. You just need to stay consistent with what’s working. That’s where data comes in. Tracking results using tools like Google Analytics will show you where your efforts are paying off and where you can cut the fluff.
Want help getting this off your plate?
If you’re already slammed, skip the “where do I even start” phase. Bookipi’s AI-powered website builder makes creating SEO-friendly pages a no-brainer-even if you’ve never touched code. You can update your site in minutes, and with our business social media tools, you’ll get fresh links in front of customers while you’re actually doing your job.
If you’ve been waiting for a sign to advertise your website for free the smart way, this is it. And if you need a platform that doesn’t add work to your plate, try Bookipi for free today.
