why people search for loan sharks (and what most don’t realize)

I started noticing something interesting… and honestly, a bit scary.

People weren’t just searching for “loan near me” or “money fast”… they were literally searching for loan sharks.

In Brazil, “agiota” is illegal. But when someone searches that, it usually means one thing: urgency.

They’re not thinking clearly. They need money fast. And that’s exactly when bad decisions happen.

That’s where I saw an opportunity… not just to grow a blog, but to actually help people avoid serious mistakes.

how I scaled my blog across every city in Brazil

At the beginning, my strategy was simple… but kind of crazy.

I decided to create content for every city in Brazil.

First, I did:

• loan + every city
• money + every city

Then I noticed the searches for “agiota”… and I went even deeper.

I basically ran Brazil twice:

• loan + all cities
• loan shark (agiota) + all cities

Yeah… it was a lot of work. But something interesting started happening.

real people started reaching out to me

This is where things got real.

Some users didn’t just read the articles… they went to my contact page.

Some even messaged me on WhatsApp.

And I was like… ok, now I have responsibility here.

So I explain clearly:

This blog is 100% informational.

I don’t lend money. I don’t connect people with illegal lenders.

What I do is guide them to safer options:

• banks
• fintech apps
• credit platforms

And the offers they see? Those are from Google advertisers — companies paying to appear there.

I just help people understand the better path.

turning dangerous searches into safe decisions

If I were you, I’d think like this:

When someone searches “loan shark near me”… they’re already in danger.

So instead of ignoring that keyword… I used it to redirect them.

I show:

• why loan sharks are risky
• what can go wrong
• what legal alternatives exist

And slowly… you shift the decision.

That’s the real power of content.

how I realized my traffic was still Brazilian (even earning in dollars)

At some point I noticed something strange.

I was earning in dollars inside AdSense… but the advertisers were mostly Brazilian.

Which means:

The traffic was Brazilian → ads were Brazilian → revenue converted to reais.

So even though I saw “$”… the real value wasn’t as high as it could be.

That’s when everything clicked.

why I decided to build a blog for the US market

I thought:

If I already know how to generate traffic in Brazil… why not do the same in the US?

Because in the US:

• CPC is higher
• RPM is higher
• Users have stronger purchasing power

Basically… everything is “dollarized”.

Even simple niches can outperform strong niches in Brazil.

understanding RPM difference (Brazil vs USA)

This part changed my mindset completely.

In Brazil:

Finance niche → decent RPM

In the US:

Even curiosity or simple topics → can match or beat Brazilian finance RPM

Now imagine finance in the US…

Exactly.

That’s where things scale.

my next move: dominating cities in the United States

So I decided to go bigger.

Same strategy… new market.

I started planning content like:

• personal loan + all US cities
• personal credit + all US cities
• money solutions + location-based searches

Basically repeating what worked in Brazil… but now in a stronger market.

City by city.

Step by step.

what I tell people who are about to make a bad financial decision

Sometimes I imagine the person behind the screen.

Maybe stressed. Maybe desperate.

Thinking about borrowing from someone risky.

If I were talking directly to them, I’d say:

slow down.

There are better options.

Look for:

• regulated banks
• trusted fintech platforms
• credit unions

Because the wrong decision today… can become a bigger problem tomorrow.

final thoughts (this is bigger than just making money)

Yeah, I make money with AdSense.

Yeah, I think about RPM, CPC, and scaling.

But at the same time…

I know that some of these articles actually help people avoid serious mistakes.

And that changes how I see this whole thing.

It’s not just traffic.

It’s not just clicks.

It’s decisions.

And if I can guide someone to a safer path… while building a business…

That’s a win on both sides.

why I didn’t ignore the “loan shark” keyword (and you probably shouldn’t either)

A lot of people would just avoid this keyword completely… because yeah, it’s illegal, risky, looks bad.

But I thought differently.

If people are searching it anyway… someone will answer that search.

So the question is: who do you want answering that?

A random shady site… or someone actually trying to guide them?

That’s when I decided to face it head-on, but in a responsible way.

what I say when someone asks me for a loan directly

This happens more than you’d think.

People message me like:

“Can you lend me money?”

And I always respond the same way.

I explain clearly:

I don’t lend money.

I don’t connect people with private lenders.

I don’t do anything illegal.

What I do is help you understand your options.

And honestly… most people respect that when you explain it properly.

how urgency changes people’s decisions (and how I try to slow them down)

This is something I started noticing after talking to real users.

When someone needs money urgently… logic disappears.

They don’t compare options.

They don’t read terms.

They just want the fastest solution.

So in my content, I try to do something simple:

slow them down.

Even just a little.

Because sometimes that’s enough to avoid a bad decision.

the hidden advantage of helping instead of selling

At first, I thought I needed to “push” offers to make money.

But over time… I realized something better.

When you actually help people understand their situation…

they trust you more.

They stay longer.

They come back.

And naturally… they click on better options.

It’s a slower approach… but way stronger in the long run.

why local content (city by city) works so well

This strategy changed everything for me.

Instead of creating generic articles… I made them specific.

City by city.

Because people search like this:

• “loan near me in [city]”
• “credit options in [city]”
• “money urgent [city name]”

And when your content matches that… it feels more relevant.

Almost like you’re talking directly to that person.

what most bloggers don’t see about this strategy

From the outside, it looks repetitive.

“Same article… different city…”

But it’s not just that.

Each page targets a different intention, a different search, a different user.

And when you combine that with real explanations and guidance…

it stops being spam and starts being useful.

how I think about scaling this long term

I don’t see this as a “one-time project”.

I see it as a system.

Content → traffic → trust → monetization.

And once it works in one country…

you can expand.

That’s exactly what I’m doing now with the US market.

Same idea… bigger scale.

if you’re thinking about copying this strategy

I’ll be real with you.

This works… but only if you do it right.

If you just generate random pages with no care… it won’t last.

But if you:

• write with intention
• explain things clearly
• actually try to help

then yeah… it can grow a lot.

And not just in traffic… but in trust too.

final reflection (what this taught me)

This whole journey taught me something simple.

People are not just “traffic”.

Behind every search… there’s a situation.

Sometimes urgent. Sometimes confusing. Sometimes risky.

And if you can position yourself as someone who helps instead of exploits…

you build something much stronger.

Not just a blog.

But something people actually rely on.