Trying To Get Noticed On The Web

So, I started my own blog and my own website over the last couple of months. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing when I began, but I have muddled through pretty well. I have learned a lot about web design and whatnot, and am pretty happy with how my sight is coming along. At this point the largest hurdle is trying to get noticed on the web! I spend a lot of time researching methods of site promotion and blog promotion, and I follow through with as many as I can, but it is a long, slow, often discouraging process. I often feel like I am just screaming madly into an endless void. I sometimes spend a whole afternoon on my computer wandering in circles on the web like a dog after its own tail. I submit my site to search engines, only to be told it will be two months before they get to me. I submit my site to other sites, requesting link exchanges, only to be told they aren't accepting new links, or will get to me when they can. A few told me they would link to me, but two or three weeks later have yet to do it. I place classified ads on newspaper sites, and a few of those have been reasonably successful, but others have not. One problem I run into is that everyone wants to catergorize my sight as a professional business, even though it just me managing it and I don't charge for or sell anything. It is just my personal collection of recipes and personal thoughts and experiences with being vegetarian. A few classified sights actually removed my ads within 24 hours because they want me to pay for business class ad space. I can't afford to put that kind of money into my site promotion. So, how do I get noticed? The web is such a huge place, crowded with so many people! I am not totally unrealistic. I understand that it will take months, and even years, to get really good search engine rankings, and high traffic volume. I am willing to do the work. I just wish I could find more productive means of site promotion, so I didn't have to waste so much of my time on fruitless efforts. A better defined and focused plan of action would be nice. At this point I am just blindly feeling my way through it all. But, despite how frustrated and gloomy I sound here, I am still enjoying myself and am actually quite hopeful. I will succeed....eventually! :)