--- name: intent-data-vendors-comparison slug: intent-data-vendors-comparison description: This skill should be used when the user asks to "compare intent data vendors", "best intent data provider", "which intent data tool to use", "intent data comparison", "evaluate intent data providers", "choose an intent data vendor", "intent data tool comparison", "compare Bombora 6sense G2", "intent data buying guide", or any variation of comparing and choosing intent data vendors for B2B SaaS. category: general --- # Intent Data Vendors Intent data tells you which companies are actively researching topics related to your product. A company reading 15 articles about "CRM migration" this week is more likely to buy a CRM than one that isn't. Intent data vendors capture this research behavior and sell it as a signal for sales and marketing teams. The principle: intent data is a signal, not a guarantee. A company showing intent for "sales engagement" may be researching for a blog post, evaluating for an internal team, or actively buying. Intent data increases the probability that outreach is timely, but it doesn't confirm buying readiness. Use it to prioritize, not to qualify. ## Types of Intent Data ### Three categories | Type | What it captures | How it's collected | Examples | |------|-----------------|-------------------|---------| | Third-party intent | Research activity across the web (not your site) | Content consumption tracking via publisher co-ops | Bombora, 6sense, TechTarget | | First-party intent | Activity on YOUR website | Your own analytics, tracking, and forms | Google Analytics, Clearbit Reveal, HubSpot | | Second-party intent | Activity on a specific partner's platform | Review site activity, social engagement | G2 Buyer Intent, LinkedIn intent | ### Intent type rules - **First-party is highest quality.** Someone visiting YOUR pricing page 3 times is a stronger signal than someone reading a generic article about your category. Prioritize first-party signals - **Third-party is highest volume.** Bombora and 6sense track research across thousands of websites. The signal is weaker per-event but captures accounts you'd never find otherwise - **G2 intent is the sleeper hit.** G2 Buyer Intent shows you which companies are looking at your G2 profile, comparing you to competitors, and reading reviews. This is highly specific purchase intent --- ## Vendor Comparison ### Major vendors | Vendor | Type | Data source | Strength | Weakness | Pricing | |--------|------|------------|----------|----------|---------| | Bombora | Third-party | Co-op of 5,000+ B2B publishers | Largest publisher co-op. Industry standard | Broad signals, not always product-specific | $$$$ (enterprise) | | 6sense | Third-party + first-party | Web tracking + publisher data + AI | Full platform with orchestration. Buying stage prediction | Expensive. Complex implementation | $$$$ (enterprise) | | G2 Buyer Intent | Second-party | G2.com user activity | Very specific (company viewed YOUR profile) | Limited to G2 users. Lower volume | $$ (included in G2 plans) | | TechTarget | Third-party | TechTarget publisher network | Strong for IT/technology purchases | Narrow to tech topics | $$$ | | Clearbit Reveal | First-party | YOUR website visitor identification | Identifies companies visiting your site | Only captures your site visitors | $$ (included in Clearbit) | | LinkedIn intent | Second-party | LinkedIn engagement data | Large B2B audience. Content engagement signals | Integrated with LinkedIn Ads only | Included in LinkedIn ad products | | DemandBase | Third-party + first-party | Account intelligence platform | ABM-focused. Account-level orchestration | Enterprise pricing. Complex setup | $$$$ | --- ## Choosing a Vendor ### Decision framework | Your situation | Recommended vendor(s) | Why | |---------------|----------------------|-----| | First intent data purchase, budget < $1K/month | G2 Buyer Intent + Clearbit Reveal | Lowest cost, highest signal quality | | Mid-market SaaS, $1K-5K/month budget | G2 + Clearbit + Bombora (via integration) | Combines first-party, second-party, and third-party | | Enterprise SaaS, $5K+/month, ABM motion | 6sense or DemandBase | Full platform with orchestration, scoring, and activation | | Tech/IT buyer target | TechTarget + Bombora | Deep coverage of tech research behavior | | Already using LinkedIn Ads heavily | LinkedIn Intent Audiences | Native integration, no additional tool needed | ### Decision rules - **Start with first-party + G2 before buying third-party.** Clearbit Reveal (website visitors) + G2 Buyer Intent (review site activity) gives you specific, high-quality signals at lower cost than Bombora or 6sense - **Third-party intent is most valuable at scale.** If you're doing ABM across 500+ target accounts, third-party intent (Bombora, 6sense) identifies which of those 500 are researching NOW. At 50 target accounts, the volume is too low for third-party intent to matter - **Don't buy intent data without a way to activate it.** Intent data is useless if it sits in a dashboard. You need workflows: intent surge → alert SDR → outbound sequence. If you can't build the activation workflow, don't buy the data yet - **Evaluate based on signal-to-noise ratio, not volume.** Bombora may flag 200 accounts per week showing intent. If only 20 of those are in your ICP, the signal-to-noise ratio is 10%. Evaluate based on ICP-relevant signals, not total volume --- ## Evaluating Intent Data Quality ### The evaluation test ``` 1. Request a trial or sample from the vendor 2. Receive intent signals for 30 days 3. Cross-reference against your pipeline: a. Of the accounts showing intent, how many are already in pipeline? (validation) b. Of the accounts showing intent NOT in pipeline, how many match your ICP? (opportunity) c. Of your current pipeline, how many showed intent before becoming pipeline? (predictive value) 4. Calculate: - Overlap rate: intent accounts that are also pipeline - ICP match rate: intent accounts that match your ICP - Predictive rate: pipeline accounts that showed intent first 5. A good vendor: > 30% ICP match, > 20% predictive overlap ``` --- ## Measurement | Metric | Definition | Target | Frequency | |--------|-----------|--------|-----------| | ICP match rate | % of intent-flagged accounts that match ICP | > 30% | Monthly | | Pipeline overlap | % of intent accounts already in pipeline | 10-25% (validates signal quality) | Monthly | | Predictive value | % of new pipeline that showed intent before outreach | > 15% | Quarterly | | Signal-to-meeting rate | % of intent-prioritized outreach that books meetings | 1.5-2x higher than non-intent outreach | Monthly | | Cost per intent signal | Vendor cost / intent-flagged ICP accounts | Track trend | Monthly | | Activation rate | % of intent signals that trigger an action (email, call) | > 80% | Monthly | --- ## Pre-Purchase Checklist - [ ] First-party intent captured (website analytics, Clearbit Reveal or equivalent) - [ ] G2 Buyer Intent evaluated (if you have a G2 profile) - [ ] Activation workflow designed (intent signal → SDR action) - [ ] CRM integration confirmed (how does intent data reach reps?) - [ ] Trial or sample requested from vendors - [ ] Trial data cross-referenced against current pipeline - [ ] ICP match rate calculated from trial data (> 30%) - [ ] Budget allocated and justified by expected pipeline impact - [ ] Team trained on how to interpret and act on intent signals - [ ] Success metrics defined before purchase --- ## Anti-Pattern Check - Buying intent data with no activation workflow. Intent data sits in a dashboard nobody checks. SDRs don't see the signals. No outreach is triggered. Waste of money. Build the workflow (intent → alert → sequence) before buying the data - Treating every intent signal as a hot lead. "They're researching CRM!" They might be researching for a blog post, evaluating for a team of 3, or comparing for a project that's 12 months out. Intent increases probability. It doesn't confirm readiness. Use it to prioritize, not to assume they're ready to buy - Skipping first-party intent for third-party. You're paying $3K/month for Bombora but haven't set up Clearbit Reveal on your website. The company visiting your pricing page 5 times is a stronger signal than one reading a generic article about your category. Capture first-party first - Evaluating vendors on volume alone. Bombora flags 500 accounts/week. But 450 are outside your ICP. 6sense flags 100 accounts/week, 80 of which are ICP. 6sense is 16x more useful per signal. Evaluate on ICP match rate, not volume - No baseline comparison. You implement intent data and meetings increase. Was it the intent data or the new SDR you hired the same month? Measure meetings from intent-prioritized outreach vs non-intent outreach to isolate the impact - Enterprise pricing for startup needs. 6sense costs $50K+/year. Your outbound team is 2 SDRs targeting 100 accounts. G2 + Clearbit Reveal at $500/month would give you 80% of the value at 10% of the cost. Match the tool to the scale