Buyer-intent signals
Also known as: intent data, purchase intent signals, B2B intent signals, intent signals · Not to be confused with: firmographic data, technographic data
Buyer-intent signals are behavioral data points (web visits, content downloads, tool research, hiring activity) that indicate a target account is actively researching or evaluating a purchase in a specific category. They are the filtered output of intent data and the input to most B2B account scoring models.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between intent data and intent signals?
Intent data is the raw stream of behavioral observations across the web. Intent signals are the filtered subset that crosses a relevance threshold for your category. Most B2B teams use intent data as the input and intent signals as the output of their scoring model.
Where do buyer-intent signals come from?
Major sources include Bombora (publisher network), G2 (review-site activity), TrustRadius, and 6sense (their own anonymous network). Each network observes a different slice of buyer behavior. Most mature teams combine two networks for coverage.
How accurate are buyer-intent signals?
Accuracy depends on the network's coverage and the freshness of the signal. Industry-published rates put strong signals (multi-source, multi-week) at a 35 to 50 percent lift in connect rate. Single weak signals lift by under 10 percent.
Do buyer-intent signals work for SMB sales?
Less reliably. Signal networks observe enterprise and mid-market activity well, and SMB behavior is harder to attribute to an account because individual employees often browse from personal devices. SMB teams typically lean harder on fit data and lighter on intent.
How quickly should an SDR act on a buyer-intent signal?
Within 72 hours of the signal firing. Research patterns are time-bounded, and intent decays quickly once the buyer has made a shortlist. Most mature outbound teams set a 24 to 72 hour SLA from signal to first SDR touch.