Intent data is a class of third-party data that signals when a company is actively researching a topic, typically by aggregating anonymized content consumption (articles read, search queries, review-site visits, ad clicks) across the open web and identifying the company via IP or cookie matching. Intent data is used in B2B outbound to prioritize accounts that are "in market" right now. Major providers include Bombora, G2, 6sense, TechTarget, and ZoomInfo Intent.
How does intent data actually work?
The collection mechanism varies by provider but follows a similar pattern. A consortium of publishers and review sites instruments their pages to track which topics each anonymous visitor reads. The data is reverse-IP-matched (or cookie-matched) to a company, then surge-detected: a company is flagged "showing intent" when its consumption of a specific topic spikes above its historical baseline. So you don't get "Sarah at Acme read this article," you get "Acme has shown a 4x surge in research on data warehouse topics this week."
Surge data is probabilistic and noisy. False positives are common: a company may have a single curious employee reading articles without any real buying activity. The signal is most useful in aggregate: a company surging across three related topics for two weeks is a much stronger signal than one surge on one topic.
How should intent data be used in outbound?
Three patterns. First, account prioritization: rank named accounts by intent score and tier outreach effort accordingly. Second, sequence triggering: launch a sequence into an account when it crosses an intent threshold. Third, message tailoring: reference the intent topic in the opener (carefully, since the prospect doesn't know you can see their consumption). The trap is treating intent as authoritative. Intent data is a tilt, not a truth: it shifts the odds, but a 30% close rate on intent-flagged accounts vs 10% on cold accounts is roughly the lift you should expect, not 90%. ReachIQ combines intent signal with firmographic and technographic scoring to produce a single conversion probability per contact.
Related questions
What's the difference between first-party and third-party intent?
First-party intent is engagement on your own properties: website visits, content downloads, pricing-page views. Third-party intent is consumption on external publishers tracked by data providers. First-party is more accurate but lower volume; third-party is broader but noisier. Most teams use both.
Is intent data accurate?
Directionally yes, precisely no. Industry benchmarks suggest intent data lifts conversion 2-4x over cold lists when used to prioritize, but false positives are common (10-30% depending on provider). Treat intent as a ranking input, not a buying signal.
How fresh is intent data?
Most providers refresh weekly. Some refresh daily. Surge windows typically last 2-6 weeks before fading. If you don't act on a surge within the first 2 weeks, the signal has likely passed and the prospect has either bought or moved on.