Glossary
Intent data
Intent data is information about which companies or people are researching a topic or product right now, collected from online behavior such as content reads, searches, review site visits and visits to your own website. Sales teams use it to time outreach.
What Is Intent Data?
In short Intent data comes in two forms.
First-party intent is behavior on your own properties: pricing page visits, demo requests, email clicks, product usage. Third-party intent is collected on websites you don't own, usually by matching visits to companies through IP addresses and spotting when a company reads more than usual about a topic.
Third-party intent works at the company level and is probabilistic. HubSpot's own documentation warns that unrelated visitors can share an IP address, and a spike in reading about a topic at a 500-person company could be one person's side project. Treat it as a way to rank accounts that already fit, not as proof that someone is buying.
Intent Data Example
Example: a team has 2,000 accounts that fit its ICP. Intent data flags 140 that read far more than usual about its category this month. The SDRs contact those 140 first with a message about the problem they were researching, and work the other 1,860 on the normal schedule.
Intent Data in Practice
Outbound teams use intent to decide who to contact first and to write a more relevant opening line. It works best on top of a fit filter: start from accounts that match your ideal customer profile, then move the ones showing a signal to the front of the queue.
FAQ
What is intent data?
Data that shows which companies or people are researching a topic, product or category, so you can reach them while they are looking. HubSpot splits it into first-party data you collect on your own properties and third-party data collected on sites you don't own.
What is the difference between first-party and third-party intent data?
First-party intent comes from your own website, product and emails, such as pricing page visits or demo requests. Third-party intent is collected on other websites, usually at the company level. Ken's view: first-party signals are fewer but more reliable.
How does intent data work?
Most third-party intent tools match website visits to companies through IP addresses, then compare how much a company reads about a topic with its usual level. A jump above that level is reported as a signal. HubSpot notes that this matching is probabilistic.
Is intent data accurate?
It is a signal, not proof. Company-level matching misses remote workers, mixes up shared networks, and one curious employee can create a spike. Use it to rank accounts that already fit your ICP, not to choose accounts on its own.
What are examples of intent signals?
Visits to your pricing page, demo requests, research on a topic across the web, and company news such as funding, executive hires or product launches.
Do This in Ken
Do This in Ken
Ken Search has no third-party intent data today. Build the list on company fit, which is free to search, and treat replies in Inbox as your first-party intent signal.
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Related
- GTM Glossary
Every GTM term, grouped by topic.
- Signal-based selling
- Technographics
- Firmographics
- Lead scoring
- Account-based marketing (ABM)
- Ideal customer profile (ICP)
- Ken
Sources
| Source | Checked |
|---|---|
| HubSpot: Why prioritizing buyer intent data is a must | |
| HubSpot Knowledge Base: Use buyer intent to identify companies ready to buy | |
| HubSpot Knowledge Base: Buyer intent, intent signals and custom signals FAQ |
Changelog
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