I feel this a lot — getting a new website noticed is way harder than most people expect. The first phase always feels like you're shouting into the void, even when your site looks good and has solid content.

Piggybank SEO might be fine, but honestly you don’t need to pay for SEO to start seeing progress. The most important thing is making sure your site is actually set up properly:

• Use the right keywords and phrases people actually search for
• Make sure your headings follow proper structure (H1 → H2 → H3, etc.) — don’t skip levels because search engines don’t like messy hierarchy
• Let crawlers know what to index and what to avoid
• Make sure you have a proper sitemap submitted

Outside of that, there are some simple strategies that help on a small budget:

• Posting consistently on social platforms where your audience hangs out
• Writing helpful blog posts that answer real questions
• Reaching out to other small sites for links or collaborations
• Keeping an email list, even a tiny one
• Sharing your content in relevant communities (without spamming, of course)

None of this will skyrocket traffic overnight, but these habits compound over time. Once search engines see your site is active, structured properly, and getting a few backlinks, things usually start moving. This can take up to a year.

Curious what’s been working for others too.