Get more visitors to your web shop: 6 free methods

Where your visitors come from

Everyone who visits your web shop arrives differently, via different sources. These are usually grouped into four main buckets:

• Search engines (S). People search for something (Google, Bing, or now also ChatGPT/Perplexity) and click a result that leads to your shop.
• Links from other sites (L). People visit bloggers, news sites or other companies and click a link to your shop.
• Social networks (SN). People use Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest or Snapchat and click through to your shop.
• Direct traffic (D). People already know your store and type the address directly or use a bookmark.

To get more visitors, or "drive traffic", these sources* are what you work with. Below we cover six methods, all free (apart from your time).

*except for direct traffic, which is a downstream effect of being visible in other channels, maybe even offline.

Before we start: look for visitors in the channels that are relevant for your audience. None of your customers on TikTok? Skip TikTok. Do not try to be everywhere, focus on two channels where you can actually do a good job.

1. Work on SEO for your product and category pages (S)

Search engine optimization, SEO, is still one of e-commerce's strongest growth engines. It means writing your product and category text along certain guidelines (and working on links) to show up high when people search relevant terms.

"SEO has an ability to deliver good results over a very long time. Anyone working continuously on SEO can get better and better returns over time."

SEO is not a quick fix, it takes time and energy over months and years. But to get started you need two things: 1) a keyword strategy (what do you want to be visible for), and 2) pages that follow basic SEO guidelines.

To find relevant keywords in 2026, use:

• Google Search Console, shows what you already rank for and where you have potential
• Keyword Planner in Google Ads (free even without active ads)
• Ahrefs / Semrush (paid, worth it as you grow)
• ChatGPT/Claude, great for brainstorming long-tail keywords and questions people actually ask

Guidelines for an SEO-friendly page:

• Write about what the reader wants to know, informative, helpful
• Easy to read: paragraphs, subheadings, lists, short sentences
• No typos
• Use the main keyword in the page heading (H1), URL, page title and first paragraph
• Vary with synonyms and inflections, avoid mechanical repetition
• Include the keyword in one or two subheadings

Write for humans first, search engines second. Stuff keywords in a way that becomes strange or repetitive and you get punished, both by visitors who leave the page and by Google's algorithm.

What about AI search (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini)?

In 2026 AI search engines are a growing part of how people find information. The good news: AI models base their answers on the same web content Google indexes. Good SEO is good AI-SEO. The only extra thing you can do is structure content with clear headings and fact-based answers, models are good at extracting "yes/no" answers and short definitions.

2. Write your own guides and share tips (S)

When people talk SEO, product and category text usually take center stage. But do not forget informational keywords, questions people search when they want to know rather than buy. "How do wireless phone chargers work?" "How do I get nicer nails?" You can optimize for these by writing guides and articles on your site.

Example: a yoga store creates pages like "Which yoga mat is right for me?" and "What yoga gear do I need?", pages existing visitors find via the footer, but which primarily pull new visitors via Google.

Bonus: guides with clear questions and answers are perfect for AI search engines like ChatGPT, when someone asks the AI about yoga mats, your article ends up in the answer.

3. Build links from other sites (L)

Other sites linking to your store signals authority to Google. In 2026 quality over quantity is more true than ever, a link from a respected niche blogger or industry publication is worth a hundred links from random comment sections.

Ways to build links:

• Write guest posts on relevant blogs in your niche
• Get interviewed on podcasts and YouTube channels, modern link-builders
• Create "linkable" content, industry reports, calculators, original research
• PR and press outreach, if something happens in your business, tell news services and niche media about it
• Partnerships with complementary stores, link to each other if you share an audience but do not compete

Avoid paid link networks and cheap "link farms", Google penalizes that heavily, and it is not worth the risk.

4. Show up on comparison and review sites (L)

Some industries have strong comparison sites where buyers find products and links onward. Think price comparison engines, discount code sites, or industry-specific review sites in your niche. Being there drives both direct traffic and links.

Check with your suppliers, many already have a list of relevant comparison sites and can help you get in.

5. Use YouTube and TikTok (SN)

Social platforms today work both as social channels and as search engines. YouTube is still the world's second-largest search engine (after Google), but TikTok has grown dramatically as a discovery engine, especially for Gen Z and younger millennials, who often search for products directly in the TikTok app instead of Google.

By creating short videos around informational keywords (point 2) you can drive both organic views and traffic to your store. For YouTube, "how-to" videos, comparisons and behind-the-scenes are classics. For TikTok it is more raw, fast and authentic, show the product in use, share tips, be the face of the brand.

Use Google Trends (set to YouTube search) or TikTok's Creative Center to find what people are actually searching for in your category.

6. Build an email list, and nurture it (Direct + Returning)

Email is often underrated in 2026, but it is still one of the strongest return channels. Every newsletter you send drives direct visits and important signals to Google that your site is alive.

How to grow the list for free:

• Offer a checklist, guide or discount code in exchange for email
• Popup or embedded form at checkout, on the blog, and on the homepage
• Ask for email on social channels and in podcasts/interviews

And how you keep the list: actually send valuable content, not just offers. A mix of tips, news and campaigns works best.

Those are six ways to get more visitors to your web shop with no ad budget. Do not forget to measure the result, set up Google Analytics 4 early to see which channels actually work for you. Good luck.**