Yesterday, I promised you the answer to “okay, but what goes where on the page?” So let’s talk cohesion in your copy.

(I know, I know "cohesion" ain't sexy. But you wanna know what is sexy? Earning more $$$ in your business. Cohesion in your copy helps with that. So, keep it scrolling, folks!)

You can have allllllll the right elements in your copy.

A clear headline… great testimonials… a compelling solution… tangible benefits…

… but if those pieces are scattered, out of order, or feel like they were copy-pasted from a template (or bot output) with no clear strategy? You end up with sales copy that, well, doesn’t sell.

That’s where copy cohesion comes in. It’s all about the structure, flow, and order of your page – ultimately making sure it builds toward a single, unified argument.

Here’s a quick look at what a page might look like when it’s jumping around (AKA what you don't want to be doing):

A promise-y headline at the top 🠫

A handful of features and benefits (even though we haven’t introduced the offer) 🠫

Some pain points 🠫

An unrelated testimonial 🠫

More features and benefits 🠫

A few “oh, also….” details (even though we STILL haven’t introduced the offer) 🠫

THEN, finally, the offer itself 🠫

Then a few more pain points sprinkled in for good measure without referencing how the solution above will actually solve them (my personal copy pet peeve and SO SO common) 🠫

Then another random testimonial or two 🠫

(And on, and on, and on…)

Compare that to a page with real cohesion, where each section is working to build an argument and lead the reader from one to the next:

A headline that makes a specific promise 🠫

One clear pain point section reflecting exactly where the reader is today 🠫

A smooth transition into the offer, positioned as the fix for those exact same pain points above 🠫

Social proof or other authority markers that back up the promise 🠫

Features and benefits that back up the promise 🠫

More proof reinforcing said features & benefits 🠫

Pricing 🠫

Proof that handles price hesitation 🠫

Final FAQs 🠫

A clear, consistent CTA that mirrors the larger promise made throughout the page

~~~

So…. why am I bringing this up in a series about AI copy tells, specifically?

Honestly, this lack of cohesion is one of the most common mistakes I see in copy (AI assisted or not), full stop.

Which is why strong copy is rarely just about getting the right words on the page. It’s about getting the right words in the right place on the page.

That said, this does show up constantly in AI-assisted copy for one simple reason: AI drafts section by section.

Ask for pain points, it writes pain points.

Ask for a solution section, it writes a solution section.

Even if you ask it to write the whole page at once (which, btw, you should never do), you still end up with sections that feel like they were drafted separately rather than as a unified whole.

All that said, here’s a quick self-audit you can do on your copy:

Does my copy on the page walk readers through a strategic, compelling argument? Or does it feel like a pile of sections randomly assembled?

Stay tuned for tomorrow – featuring our final “beyond the em dash” AI copy tell + the reason no amount of rereading your own copy will catch it.

~Nicole

P.S. I know I keep saying this on every single tell but… this one’s obviously not unique to AI copy, either.

Humans build disjointed pages all the time (human brains be messy, what can I say). AI’s habit of drafting in silos just makes it happen with impressive or one might even say *robotic* consistency.

Nicole Elliott Human-First Conversion Copy & Messaging Strategy Non-salesy sales copy that sells w/out the sleaze   hello@nicoleelliott.co www.nicoleelliott.co

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