Here are 9 free ways to increase website traffic.

1. Search engine optimization Optimize your website to increase your chances of getting top rankings in natural search engine results. Research keyword phrases and use them in your website. Put your phrases in your title, meta tags, intro, body, end, and link text.

2. Article writing and press releases Submit articles and press releases related to your website and include a link to your website in the resource box at the bottom of your article.

3. Link exchanges and link directories Exchange links with webmasters who have sites related to the topic of your website. Search for link directories where you can submit your URL for free.

4. Traffic exchanges The idea of traffic exchanges is that you visit other sites in return for people visiting your site. Traffic Swarm is an example of a traffic exchange.

5. Blogging Search engines tend to like blogs because of the quality content. Setup a blog related to the topic of your website and post valuable content on a regular basis. Use pinging and tagging to increase your traffic.

6. Forum Posting Post to related forums with a signature that includes a link to your website. There are many out there. If you want to find some, just search on Google for +forum

7. Social Networking These are sites like DirectMatches, AdLandPro, Ryze, and MySpace. Find people with related interests. Make friends and invite people to your site. Post your link to your website on your profile

8. Email Signature Put a signature in your email that includes a link to your website.

9. Word of Mouth Tell everyone you know about your website, like friends and family.