---
genome: copywriting
reference: heuristics
load_priority: high
---

# 10 Foundational Heuristics

Quick decision rules during copy production. Faster than running the full Decision Weights or Methodology — these are the hand-rules.

## H1: Headline decides 80% of the page's performance

If the headline doesn't stop the scroll, nothing else matters. Spend 40% of your writing time on the headline and subheadline.

**Apply:** before considering any other section, ensure the headline stops scrolling and creates the first curiosity gap.

## H2: Every section must do one of three things

1. **Build the belief** (One Belief construction)
2. **Prove the belief** (social proof, mechanism, demonstration)
3. **Drive the action** (CTA, urgency, guarantee)

**Apply:** if a section doesn't do any of these, cut it. Sections that do multiple are valuable; sections that do none are filler.

## H3: The prospect's vocabulary is always better than yours

> "I'm tired of the yo-yo cycle" > "Achieve sustainable weight management."

Use the words they use. Research gives you those words.

**Apply:** when in doubt between marketing-speak and audience-speak, audience-speak wins. Even when your phrasing is "more polished".

## H4: Specificity creates credibility

| Vague | Specific |
|-------|----------|
| "thousands of patients" | "14,237 patients" |
| "millions in revenue" | "R$47M in combined revenue" |
| "quickly" | "In 21 days" |
| "many people" | "73% of buyers" |
| "soon" | "by Tuesday at midnight" |

**Apply:** every vague claim has a specific equivalent. Find it and use it. The specifics rarely require more space; they require more research.

## H5: One CTA per decision point

Never give the prospect 5 things to click. One primary action. One secondary (lower commitment) if needed. That's it.

**Apply:** at any decision point in the copy (top of page, end of section, close), audit how many actions are presented. If more than 2, cut to 1-2.

## H6: Objections not addressed are objections that win

Every prospect has reasons to say no. Name them. Address them. Prove them wrong. Unaddressed objections compound into a silent "no."

**Apply:** before launch, list every "but..." the prospect might raise. Address each one explicitly in the copy. Skipped objections become silent conversion killers.

## H7: The guarantee is a conversion multiplier, not a risk

Strong guarantees increase conversion more than they increase refunds. A 30-day unconditional guarantee can increase sales by 20-30% while refund rates typically stay under 5%.

**Apply:** when in doubt, make the guarantee STRONGER, not weaker. The math favors strong guarantees almost always.

## H8: Features are proof, not headlines

Features belong in supporting sections as evidence that the benefit is real. They never lead. **Benefits lead, features support.**

**Apply:** if your headline or lead names a feature ("Our 12-week program with..."), rewrite to lead with benefit ("Lose 20 lbs without the gym membership grind...").

## H9: Price is always relative

R$97 is expensive for a PDF. R$97 is cheap for solving a problem that costs R$5,000/year. The copy must frame the price against the alternative cost.

**Apply:** before naming the price, establish the cost of NOT solving the problem. The price feels rational against the alternative.

## H10: Urgency must be real or absent

Fake urgency destroys trust faster than no urgency destroys conversion. If there's no real deadline, don't invent one.

**Apply:** test every urgency element — is it real? If not, remove it. Use the Two Paths technique (`frameworks/two-paths-close.md`) for emotional urgency without manufactured scarcity.

## How heuristics chain

| Heuristic | Reinforces |
|-----------|-----------|
| H1 (Headline) | Foundation for everything; without H1, H2-H10 don't matter |
| H2 + H6 | Every section justified; objections handled |
| H3 + H4 | Audience vocabulary + specifics = credibility |
| H5 + H7 | Single CTA + strong guarantee = conversion multiplier |
| H8 + H9 | Benefits lead; price framed against cost of inaction |
| H10 | Trust preservation through honest urgency |

The 10 heuristics aren't independent — they form a **conversion system**. Violating one weakens others.

## Heuristic precedence

When heuristics conflict, the higher-numbered priority wins:
- H1 (Headline) is foundational — never compromise the headline
- H10 (Real urgency) is absolute — never compromise honesty for urgency
- Other heuristics balance against context (audience awareness, format, niche)

## Common heuristic violations

| Violation | Symptom | Fix |
|-----------|---------|-----|
| Weak H1 (boring headline) | Bounce rate > 70% | Spend 40% of writing time on headline; rewrite 5-10 versions |
| H2 violated (filler sections) | Reader skims past chunks | Cut what doesn't build/prove/drive |
| H3 violated (industry jargon) | Reader feels "talked at" | Replace with audience vocabulary |
| H4 violated (vague claims) | Conversion plateau | Add specifics |
| H5 violated (multiple CTAs) | Decision paralysis | Cut to one primary CTA |
| H6 violated (objections ignored) | Conversion drops at offer | Add objection handling sections |
| H7 violated (weak guarantee) | Risk-averse buyers don't convert | Strengthen guarantee |
| H8 violated (feature-led headline) | Reader doesn't understand benefit | Rewrite with benefit-led structure |
| H9 violated (price feels expensive) | Conversion drops at price | Frame price against cost of inaction |
| H10 violated (fake urgency) | Trust erosion; long-term damage | Remove fake urgency; use Two Paths instead |
