Most brand interactions happen online before prospects reveal their interest. Companies are using buyer intent data tools to spot behaviors that signal when a prospect is ready to buy.
Take a look at the top buyer intent data tools to find a solution that helps you identify in-market accounts and drive sales growth.
What Is Buyer Intent Data?
Buyer intent data is behavioral information that reveals when prospects are actively researching solutions and ready to buy. It tracks online actions like content consumption, search patterns, and engagement signals to identify which accounts are in-market.
This data goes beyond traditional demographics and firmographics to show in-market accounts with elevated research activity above their baseline. It captures buying signals from multiple online interactions, helping sales and marketing teams spot purchase intent before prospects reach out.
B2B buyers complete most of their research before engaging with sellers. Intent data solves this by revealing which accounts are actively researching solutions.
Sales and marketing teams use intent data to:
Focus efforts on accounts showing active buying behavior rather than cold prospects
Engage prospects when they're actively evaluating solutions
Personalize messaging based on specific topics prospects are researching
How Buyer Intent Data Is Collected and the Main Types
Intent data comes from three primary sources:
First-party data: Actions taken directly on your website, including page views, content downloads, and form submissions. Highest quality signals but limited scale.
Third-party data: Aggregated activity from publisher networks, review sites, and B2B research platforms. Providers like Bombora track content consumption across 5,000+ B2B sites.
Second-party data: Shared data from partner organizations, providing additional context on account behavior and research patterns.
Data Type | Source | Strength | Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
First-Party | Your website activity | Highest quality, direct signals | Limited to your traffic only |
Third-Party | Publisher networks, B2B sites | Massive scale across accounts | Requires provider partnership |
Second-Party | Partner organizations | Trusted shared insights | Dependent on partnerships |
Modern intent platforms use IP-to-company matching to identify which organizations are consuming content, then apply algorithms to detect research activity spikes. Privacy regulations and cookie deprecation are pushing providers toward consent-based data collection and contextual targeting methods.
Best Buyer Intent Data Tools
1. ZoomInfo
ZoomInfo combines intent data with the industry's most comprehensive B2B database: 100 million company profiles, 500 million contacts, and 1 billion buying signals processed monthly. The platform delivers real-time intent signals integrated with contact and account data, so you can identify in-market buyers and reach decision-makers immediately.
The platform integrates with CRM and marketing automation tools, enriching customer records with firmographic and intent data. ZoomInfo Copilot adds AI-powered insights to help teams act on intent signals faster.
Automated workflows and segmentation filters let you identify and engage in-market accounts without manual research. Focus efforts on prospects demonstrating specific buying behaviors to shorten sales cycles and close more deals.
ZoomInfo tracks over 12,000 intent data topics sourced from a cooperative of 5,000 B2B sites. The platform includes reporting dashboards that show which accounts are researching your solutions and what topics they're consuming.
Main Features:
Real-time B2B intent data signals
CRM and marketing automation integration
Automated workflows and segmentation
More than 12,000 intent topics sourced from 5,000 B2B sites
Ideal For: Mid-market to enterprise B2B companies looking for comprehensive intent data integrated with contact database and sales intelligence.
Pricing: Custom pricing based on company size and feature requirements. Start with a free trial to experience ZoomInfo firsthand.
2. Demandbase
Demandbase One combines intent data with account-based marketing execution. The platform creates audience segments using account intelligence, CRM data, intent signals, and technographics.
Key capabilities include:
B2B advertising: Target accounts showing intent across display and social channels
Website personalization: Customize experiences for high-intent visitors
Pipeline measurement: Track how intent drives revenue impact
Main Features:
Comprehensive account intelligence for precise audience targeting
B2B-optimized advertising platform
Website personalization capabilities
Advanced measurement tools for tracking marketing and sales impact
Ideal For: Enterprise B2B companies focused on account-based marketing with integrated advertising and personalization needs.
Pricing: Custom enterprise pricing based on company size and platform modules.
Learn more about Demandbase One
3. Bombora
Bombora pioneered B2B intent data and operates the industry's largest data cooperative. The platform tracks content consumption across 5,000+ websites, including Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal, to identify accounts researching specific topics.
Bombora's Company Surge data shows when research activity spikes above baseline levels. This helps sales and marketing teams prioritize target accounts, time outreach, and personalize messaging based on demonstrated research behavior.
Main Features:
Content consumption activity tracking from millions of B2B organizations
ABM strategy execution through audience integration with media activation partners
Audience composition insights leveraging data from millions of organizations
Company Surge data showing topic research spikes
Ideal For: B2B companies seeking pure-play intent data to integrate with existing marketing and sales technology stacks.
Pricing: Subscription-based pricing varies by data volume and integration requirements.
4. 6sense
6sense combines intent data with AI-powered predictions to identify accounts in-market and forecast buying stages. The platform analyzes millions of data points to recommend which accounts to prioritize and when to engage them.
The AI continuously learns from engagement patterns to improve prediction accuracy. Revenue teams get recommended next-best actions for each account based on demonstrated buying signals and predicted buying stage.
Main Features:
AI-powered predictive analytics for account identification
Buying stage prediction and progression tracking
Multi-channel orchestration across email, advertising, and sales outreach
Revenue AI recommendations for optimal engagement timing
Ideal For: Enterprise B2B companies wanting AI-driven predictions combined with intent data for revenue team alignment.
Pricing: Free plan available with basic features; custom enterprise pricing based on company size and feature requirements.
5. Terminus
Terminus combines intent data with account-based marketing execution tools. The platform identifies target accounts showing buying signals, then helps you activate those insights through advertising, email, and sales development.
Marketing teams can launch account-based advertising campaigns targeting decision-makers at high-intent companies. Sales teams get account insights and engagement history to improve outreach timing and relevance.
Main Features:
Account-based advertising with intent targeting
Multi-channel campaign orchestration
Sales and marketing alignment tools
Account engagement scoring and progression tracking
Ideal For: Mid-market B2B companies focused on account-based marketing with integrated advertising and sales development needs.
Pricing: Tiered subscription pricing based on account volume and feature access.
How to Use Buyer Intent Data in Marketing
Marketing teams use buyer intent data to target the right accounts at the right time with relevant messaging. Activate intent signals across multiple channels:
Audience segmentation: Create targeted campaigns for accounts showing intent around specific topics or solutions
Programmatic advertising: Target display and social ads to decision-makers at companies demonstrating buying signals
Email personalization: Customize messaging based on specific topics prospects are researching
Content syndication: Distribute relevant content to accounts actively consuming related information
Campaign triggers: Automatically launch nurture sequences when accounts cross intent thresholds
Account-based marketing orchestration: Coordinate multi-channel campaigns around high-intent target accounts
How to Use Buyer Intent Data in Sales
Sales teams use buyer intent data to focus on accounts actively researching solutions instead of cold prospects. Key applications:
Account prioritization: Focus prospecting efforts on accounts showing elevated research activity above baseline levels
Lead routing: Automatically assign high-intent leads to appropriate sales reps based on territory and expertise
Sequence triggers: Launch targeted outreach campaigns when accounts begin researching relevant topics
Talk track personalization: Reference specific topics prospects are researching during cold calls and emails
Deal intelligence: Monitor existing customers for competitive research signals that indicate churn risk
Territory planning: Identify which accounts in your territory are showing buying signals for upcoming quarters
Multithreading: Find additional contacts at target accounts who are engaging with relevant content
How to Choose a Buyer Intent Data Provider
Choose a buyer intent data provider based on data quality, coverage, and integration capabilities. Evaluate these factors:
Data coverage and scale: Evaluate the breadth of topics tracked, number of companies monitored, and geographic coverage. Providers like ZoomInfo and Bombora track signals across thousands of B2B sites.
Signal freshness and accuracy: Look for real-time or near-real-time signal delivery. Stale data means missed opportunities.
Integration capabilities: Ensure the provider connects with your existing CRM, marketing automation platform, and sales tools. Native integrations save time and improve adoption.
Data quality and match rates: Ask about IP-to-company matching accuracy and how providers filter out noise from VPNs and residential traffic.
Topic coverage and customization: Verify the provider tracks topics relevant to your solutions. Some platforms update their topic coverage based on customer feedback and industry trends.
Privacy compliance: Confirm the provider follows GDPR, CCPA, and other relevant regulations. Consent-based data collection matters.
Buyer Intent Data FAQs
What is the best buyer intent data tool?
ZoomInfo provides the most comprehensive buyer intent data solution, combining 12,000+ intent topics from 5,000 B2B sites with 500 million contact profiles and direct integrations to CRM and sales tools.
How accurate is buyer intent data?
Intent data accuracy depends on the provider's IP-to-company matching technology and data sources. Top providers filter out VPN traffic and residential IPs to maintain high accuracy at the account level.
How much does buyer intent data cost?
Buyer intent data pricing varies widely by provider. Enterprise platforms typically charge $30,000-$300,000+ annually based on company size, feature access, and data volume.
Can small businesses use buyer intent data?
Yes, platforms like ZoomInfo and Apollo.io offer buyer intent data solutions for small and mid-market companies with flexible pricing and scaled feature sets.
Get Started with Buyer Intent Data Today
Buyer intent data helps sales and marketing teams reach prospects when they're actively evaluating solutions. The right platform identifies in-market accounts, prioritizes outreach efforts, and personalizes engagement based on demonstrated buying signals.
Ready to see how intent data can accelerate your pipeline? Start your free ZoomInfo trial and experience comprehensive B2B intent data firsthand.