Where Can I Find Intent Data for Targeting B2B Leads?
Does your sales team waste hours chasing leads that might be interested—sending emails into the void and hoping something sticks? That’s an expensive way to waste your time.
What if you could stop guessing?
Intent data changes the game. It tells you who is actively researching solutions like yours, what they care about, and when they’re ready to engage. Instead of waiting for leads to raise their hands, you get ahead of the curve—reaching them at the right moment with the right message.
The challenge is that most B2B teams aren’t using intent data correctly—or at all. Many are stuck relying on outdated prospecting methods, struggling to separate serious buyers from tire-kickers. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone.
But that’s also an opportunity. A solid intent data strategy gives you a competitive edge—helping you reach the right prospects before your competitors even know they’re in the market. And the best part? You don’t need a massive budget or a data science degree to get started.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through:
Where to find intent data (from free tools to premium providers)
How to use it to prioritize leads and drive better engagement
Practical steps to integrate intent signals into your sales and marketing strategy
No fluff, no theory—just a clear path to turning intent data into revenue.
Want to see how intent data works in the real world?
Check out our case study with Excite Exhibits—where smarter targeting and sharper outreach boosted their conversion rate to 33%.
What Is Intent Data? (And Why Does It Matter?)
According to Forrester, over 85% of companies using intent data have achieved business benefits, including increased response rates from outbound marketing and more successful sales prospecting.
That’s because intent data removes the guesswork from lead generation. Instead of chasing cold leads, your team can focus on prospects actively researching solutions like yours.
What Is Intent Data?
Intent data tracks online behaviors that indicate buying interest—things like:
Website visits (pages viewed, time spent, return frequency)
Content engagement (downloads, webinar sign-ups, case study views)
Search queries (keywords and topics prospects are researching)
Social media interactions (comments, shares, and discussions)
By analyzing these signals, businesses can identify who is seriously considering a purchase and what they care about—allowing for more strategic outreach.
Why Does Intent Data Matter?
Enhanced Lead Prioritization
Not all leads are created equal. Intent data helps identify which prospects are actively looking for a solution, so your team can focus efforts where they’re most likely to convert.Improved Personalization
Knowing a prospect’s interests enables tailored messaging that resonates—leading to higher engagement and conversion rates.Better Sales & Marketing Alignment
Intent data bridges the gap between marketing-generated leads and sales outreach, ensuring both teams are working from the same insights.Shorter Sales Cycles
Engaging prospects who are actively researching means faster decision-making and quicker deal closures.Competitive Advantage
By reaching buyers before competitors do, you increase the chances of becoming their first choice.
Incorporating intent data into your strategy keeps you ahead of the competition. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, those who harness the power of intent data will be better equipped to meet the needs of their prospects and drive business growth.
Related Article: Market Trend Analysis: 7 Strategies to Spot Shifts Before Your Competition
Where to Find Intent Data
Not all intent data is the same. Some comes from your own digital properties, while other insights come from third-party providers tracking activity across the web. A strong strategy combines both for a complete picture of buyer behavior.
1. First-Party Intent Data (Your Own Channels)
First-party intent data is the most valuable and cost-effective because it comes directly from your audience. You own it, control it, and can use it immediately.
Where to find it:
Website analytics—Track page visits, time on site, repeat visits, and form submissions.
Email engagement—Open rates, click-throughs, and responses can indicate interest.
CRM data—Past interactions, deal history, and behavioral patterns help spot engaged prospects.
How to use it:
Identify visitors who repeatedly check out high-intent pages (like pricing or case studies).
Score leads based on behavior to prioritize follow-ups.
Personalize outreach based on content they’ve engaged with.
2. Third-Party Intent Data (Industry-Wide Insights)
Third-party intent data tracks buying signals beyond your website, helping you identify prospects researching solutions in your industry—even if they haven’t interacted with you yet.
Is it privacy-compliant?
Reputable third-party providers comply with privacy laws like GDPR and CCPA by aggregating data at the company level rather than tracking individuals. They use anonymized insights and consent-based data collection to ensure compliance. When choosing a provider, always verify that they follow legal and ethical data practices.
Where to find it:
Bombora—Tracks B2B content consumption to identify companies researching specific topics.
TrustRadius—Shows companies reading competitor reviews and comparing software.
LinkedIn & social media—Engagement with relevant posts or groups can indicate buying interest.
How to use it:
Spot prospects before they visit your website.
Reach out with relevant insights instead of cold pitches.
Align sales and marketing to target accounts showing active interest.
3. Publicly Available Data (Free Insights to Leverage)
Not ready to invest in third-party tools? You can still tap into intent signals from publicly available sources.
Where to find it:
Google Trends—See what industry topics are trending in search.
Social listening tools (Hootsuite, Sprout Social)—Track discussions and questions from potential buyers.
Job listings & press releases—A company hiring for a key role or announcing a major initiative often signals upcoming buying needs.
How to use it:
Identify companies showing growth signals (hiring, expansions, funding).
Join relevant LinkedIn or Twitter discussions where prospects are asking questions.
Use trending search topics to create timely, relevant content.
Why a Multi-Source Approach Matters
Relying on just one type of intent data limits your visibility into buyer behavior. Research shows that combining first-party and third-party data sources gives businesses a more complete picture of their prospects, leading to better targeting and higher engagement.
By leveraging insights from your own data, industry-wide behavior, and public trends, you gain a clearer understanding of who’s actively researching solutions—and how to reach them at the right moment.
How to Use Intent Data to Drive Results
Harnessing intent data effectively can transform your B2B marketing and sales strategies. Here's how to put this powerful tool to work:
1. Prioritize High-Intent Leads
Challenge: Not all leads are ready to buy, and sifting through them can be time-consuming.
Solution: Use intent data to identify prospects actively researching solutions like yours. By focusing on these high-intent leads, your team can allocate resources more efficiently and increase conversion rates.
Action Steps:
Analyze behavioral signals such as content downloads, frequent website visits, and engagement with industry topics.
Develop a lead scoring system that assigns higher values to these intent indicators.
Prioritize outreach to leads with the highest scores.
2. Personalize Outreach Efforts
Challenge: Generic messages often fail to resonate with potential customers.
Solution: Leverage intent data to tailor your communications based on a prospect's specific interests and behaviors. Personalized outreach can significantly enhance engagement and response rates.
Action Steps:
Segment your audience based on the topics they've engaged with.
Craft customized content that addresses their unique pain points and interests.
Utilize personalized email campaigns, targeted ads, and tailored landing pages to create a cohesive experience.
3. Align Sales and Marketing Teams
Challenge: Misalignment between sales and marketing can lead to missed opportunities and inefficiencies.
Solution: Intent data serves as a common thread, providing both teams with insights into a prospect's journey. This shared understanding fosters collaboration and ensures a unified approach to lead nurturing.
Action Steps:
Implement regular meetings between sales and marketing to discuss intent data findings.
Develop joint strategies for engaging high-intent prospects.
Use shared dashboards to monitor lead progress and adjust tactics as needed.
4. Enhance Account-Based Marketing (ABM) Strategies
Challenge: Identifying and engaging the right accounts can be daunting without clear insights.
Solution: Intent data enables you to pinpoint accounts showing interest in your solutions, allowing for more targeted and effective ABM campaigns.
Action Steps:
Identify accounts exhibiting intent signals relevant to your offerings.
Customize your ABM content to address the specific needs and interests of these accounts.
Coordinate personalized outreach efforts across multiple channels to engage key stakeholders.
5. Identify Upsell and Cross-Sell Opportunities
Challenge: Recognizing existing customers' evolving needs can be challenging.
Solution: Monitor intent data to uncover signals that current customers are interested in additional products or services, enabling timely and relevant upsell or cross-sell offers.
Action Steps:
Track customer engagement with content related to your other offerings.
Reach out proactively with tailored recommendations based on their demonstrated interests.
Provide exclusive offers or incentives to encourage further purchases.
By implementing these strategies, you can transform raw intent data into actionable insights, driving meaningful results for your business. Ready to take the next step? Let's explore how to get started with intent data integration.
Getting Started: A Step-by-Step Approach
Intent data can be a game-changer, but only if you know how to implement it. Whether you're starting from scratch or refining an existing strategy, here’s a step-by-step approach to integrating intent data into your sales and marketing efforts.
Step 1: Identify Your Goals
Before diving in, clarify what you want to achieve with intent data.
Are you looking to:
Generate more high-quality leads?
Improve sales outreach and engagement?
Strengthen account-based marketing (ABM) efforts?
Reduce churn and find upsell opportunities?
Setting clear objectives will guide which data sources, tools, and strategies make the most sense for your team.
Step 2: Choose the Right Type of Intent Data
Based on your goals, determine which type of intent data will be most valuable:
First-party intent data – Ideal for refining outreach to prospects already engaging with your brand (website analytics, email engagement, CRM data).
Third-party intent data – Best for discovering new prospects actively researching industry solutions (Bombora, G2, TrustRadius).
Publicly available data – Great for identifying market trends and competitive insights (Google Trends, social listening tools, press releases).
Many companies combine multiple types to create a more complete picture of buyer behavior.
Step 3: Select the Right Tools
Before investing in new platforms, start with what you already have—most businesses are already sitting on valuable first-party data that can be put to use immediately. Website analytics, CRM insights, and email engagement metrics offer powerful intent signals without any additional cost. Once you've tapped into these resources, you can layer in third-party and social listening tools to expand your reach and uncover new prospects.
CRM & Marketing Automation – HubSpot, Salesforce, Marketo (for first-party data integration).
Third-Party Intent Platforms – Bombora, Demandbase, 6sense (for broader market insights).
Social Listening & Search Trend Tools – Hootsuite, Sprout Social, Google Trends (for public intent signals).
Step 4: Align Sales and Marketing
Intent data is most effective when sales and marketing teams are working from the same insights. To ensure alignment:
Define what intent signals matter most for prioritizing leads.
Create a shared dashboard where both teams can track real-time intent data.
Set up regular sync meetings to discuss top prospects and adjust strategies accordingly.
Step 5: Test, Optimize, and Scale
Intent data strategies aren’t one-size-fits-all. Start with a pilot program by applying intent data to a small segment of your audience, then track performance.
Key metrics to monitor:
Lead-to-opportunity conversion rate (Are you engaging more qualified prospects?)
Email response rates and ad engagement (Is personalization improving results?)
Sales cycle length (Is intent data helping close deals faster?)
Use these insights to refine your approach and gradually scale intent data efforts across all outreach and marketing campaigns.
Quick Win: Start with the Data You Already Have
If you’re new to intent data, don’t overcomplicate it. Start by analyzing first-party data—identify website visitors who frequently check pricing pages, webinar attendees, or prospects who engage with multiple emails. These are your warmest leads.
Following these five steps will help you build a structured, effective intent data strategy that improves targeting, personalization, and sales efficiency.
Turn Intent Data into Action
Most B2B teams are sitting on more buyer insights than they realize. Intent data isn’t just a trend—it’s a competitive advantage. When used correctly, it helps you stop chasing cold leads and start engaging the right prospects at the right time.
By following a structured approach—leveraging first-party data, integrating third-party insights, aligning sales and marketing, and continuously optimizing your strategy—you can turn intent signals into revenue-driving actions.
Ready to Get Started?
You don’t need a massive budget or complex tech stack to start using intent data effectively. Begin with the data you already have, test small, and refine your approach as you go.
If you need some help implementing intent data into your lead generation strategy, we can help. Let’s talk about how you can put intent insights to work for your team—starting today.
