How to Make AI Copy Sound Like You
The patterns that make AI drafts sound generic, and a practical editing process to turn them into copy that sounds like a real person running a real business.
Why AI drafts sound the way they do
AI writing assistants are trained to produce likely text. Without specific guidance, "likely" means the safe, familiar phrasing that appears across huge numbers of business websites. That is why so many AI drafts share the same features, and why readers can often sense them even when they cannot explain what feels off.
The answer is not to hide the use of AI. It is to edit so the copy is specific, accurate and in a consistent voice. Those are the qualities of good copy whoever writes the first draft.
The patterns to look for
Stock vocabulary
Some words appear in AI drafts far more than in natural business writing: elevate, unlock, seamless, robust, cutting-edge, tailored, empower, journey, landscape, delve, and phrases like "in today's fast-paced world" or "look no further". None is wrong on its own. Together they create a recognizable, empty tone.
Groups of three
"Fast, friendly and reliable." "Quality, value and service." AI drafts lean heavily on lists of three adjectives. Occasional use is fine; constant use becomes a rhythm readers notice.
Claims without evidence
"We are committed to excellence." "Customer satisfaction is our top priority." These are claims nobody can check, and readers have learned to skip them. Specific, checkable facts do the job better: "We reply to every enquiry the same working day."
Over-explaining and padding
Drafts often introduce what they are about to say, say it, and then summarize it. Openings such as "When it comes to choosing a plumber, there are many factors to consider" waste the reader's first seconds.
Uniform sentences
Natural writing varies: a long sentence, then a short one. Then a question? AI drafts often keep sentences at a similar, medium length, which reads as flat.
"At Summit Plumbing, we pride ourselves on delivering seamless, reliable and professional plumbing solutions tailored to your unique needs."
"Summit Plumbing fixes leaks, clears drains and replaces water heaters across the valley. You'll get a written price before we start."
A five-step editing process
1. Check every fact first
Before polishing anything, list every factual claim and check it. There is no point perfecting a sentence that turns out to be untrue. Our fact-checking guide covers this step.
2. Cut
Remove introductions that delay the point, repeated ideas and generic claims. A useful target is cutting a third of the first draft. What remains is usually stronger.
3. Replace vague with specific
For every vague claim, ask: what is the evidence? Replace "fast service" with your actual response time, "experienced team" with real years or qualifications, "affordable" with a starting price or what is included. If there is no evidence, delete the claim.
4. Match your voice
Give the assistant a sample of your own writing, such as a good email to a customer, and ask it to rewrite the draft in that voice. Then read it aloud. Anything you would not say to a customer face to face should change.
5. Read it as a customer
Finally, read the page as a first-time visitor. Can you tell what the business does in five seconds? What questions remain? Is the next step obvious? Our editing prompts include a critique prompt that does this from the visitor's point of view.
Specific, accurate and consistent copy reads as human-quality, whoever wrote the first draft.
Define your voice once
Write a short voice guide you can reuse in every prompt. It needs only a few lines:
- Three words that describe how you sound, such as "warm, direct, practical".
- How you address customers: "you", first names, formal or casual.
- Words and phrases you use, and ones you never use.
- A sample paragraph you are happy with.
Paste this guide into every writing prompt. Over time your copy becomes consistent across pages, which is one of the clearest signs of a real, well-run business.
Add what only you know
The most effective way to make copy feel human is to add details an AI could not know: a story about a typical job, a mistake customers often make, a local quirk, an opinion about how things should be done in your industry. These details are also what make content genuinely useful, which matters to readers and to search engines alike.
When you prompt, ask the assistant to mark places for your experience instead of filling them: "Mark any place where a real example from my work would help with [MY EXAMPLE]." Then fill those gaps yourself.
What not to do
- Do not rely on "humanizer" tools that simply swap words to avoid detection. The goal is better copy for readers, not disguising its origin, and word-swapping often makes text worse.
- Do not add fake personality. Forced jokes and slang feel more artificial than plain writing.
- Do not invent stories. A made-up customer anecdote is still a made-up claim.
Final checklist
- Every fact checked
- Stock phrases removed
- Vague claims replaced with evidence or cut
- Sentence length varies
- Reads naturally aloud
- At least one detail only you could know
- Clear next step for the reader
Before and after: three common fixes
"Our experienced team delivers exceptional results for every client."
"Our three designers have built over 200 websites for local businesses since 2016." (Only if true.)
"In today's competitive market, finding the right accountant can be a challenging task for small business owners."
"We do bookkeeping, payroll and tax returns for small businesses in Spokane, for a fixed monthly fee."
"Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you achieve your goals."
"Send us your last two invoices and we'll show you what a fixed monthly fee would look like."
Notice that every improved version depends on information the writer must supply. That is the real work of making copy sound human: putting your actual knowledge into it.
Keeping copy consistent across a team
If several people write or prompt for your website, inconsistency creeps in quickly: one page is formal, another chatty, a third uses different names for the same service. Share one business brief and one voice guide, agree on the names of your services and products, and have one person do a final read of every new page. Consistent terminology also helps search engines and customers understand that pages belong together.
How much time this takes
For a typical service page, expect the AI draft to take minutes and the editing to take longer: perhaps 20 to 40 minutes to check facts, cut, add specifics and read aloud. That is still much faster than writing from scratch, and it is the part that makes the page worth reading.
The read-aloud test
The quickest single test for any page is to read it aloud, slowly, as if to a customer standing in front of you. You will hear what your eyes skip: sentences that run out of breath, words you would never say, claims that make you wince, and repetition. Mark every place you stumble or feel awkward, and rewrite those lines in the words you would actually use. If you would not say it to a customer's face, it does not belong on your website.
Some people find it easier to have the text read to them. Most computers and phones have a built-in text-to-speech feature; hearing your copy in a neutral voice makes generic phrasing and long sentences even more obvious.
A prompt to start the edit
Here is a draft for my website and a sample of my own writing.Edit the draft so it sounds like my sample. Cut it by a third. Remove stock phrases. Replace vague claims with the facts I list, or delete them.Do not add any new facts. After the edit, list every change you made.MY FACTS: [YOUR FACTS]MY WRITING SAMPLE: [PASTE]DRAFT: [PASTE]
Frequently asked questions
Can Google tell if content is AI-written?
Google has said it focuses on whether content is helpful and reliable, not on how it was produced. Rather than worrying about detection, focus on accuracy, originality and usefulness.
Are AI detection tools reliable?
AI text detectors are known to produce false positives and false negatives, so their results should not be treated as proof either way. Good editing aims at quality, not at passing a detector.
Should I write everything myself instead?
Not necessarily. Many people write faster and better by editing a decent draft than by facing a blank page. What matters is that the final text is accurate, specific and sounds like you.
How do I describe my brand voice to an AI?
Three adjectives, a few words you use and avoid, how you address customers, and a sample paragraph you like. A real sample is the most useful part, because the assistant can imitate it directly.