What is intent data, and how do you use it to scale your SaaS?

Imagine running ads to 100,000 people who all fit your ideal customer profile. They tick every box. Right sector. Right role. Right company size.

But here’s the problem: you’ve no idea which of them are actually looking for a solution like yours. Most aren’t in buying mode. So your ads burn cash, your sales team chase the wrong people, and your pipeline looks thinner than it should.

That’s where intent data comes in. It helps you identify the handful of prospects who are actively showing signs they’re ready to buy. Get this right and you can stop wasting budget and focus on the companies that matter most.

What is intent data?

Traditional targeting is based on “fit”. For example, you might run campaigns towards HR managers in the UK at companies with 10–100 staff. That’s fine, but it’s still a scattergun approach.

Intent data adds a layer of behaviour. It shows you who is actually searching, clicking, reading or engaging in ways that indicate buying interest. These are your hottest prospects, the ones worth prioritising.

Common signals of intent include:

• Visiting your pricing or demo page
• Watching a demo video or attending a webinar
• Repeated visits to your site
• Searching for your brand or competitors
• Looking at your profile or engaging with your content on LinkedIn
• Visiting review sites like G2 or Capterra
• Raising investment, hiring for key roles, or undergoing leadership changes

All of these behaviours suggest a business is in the market for change. That’s when you should swoop in.

The two types of intent data

Intent data falls into two broad categories:

First-party intent data: This is information you already own. Website visits, webinar registrations, email engagement, free trial usage, anything tracked directly by your systems.

Third-party intent data: Data captured elsewhere on the web. This could be signals from review platforms, funding announcements, job boards, or specialist providers such as Bombora or 6sense.

If you’re just starting out, focus on first-party intent data. It’s accessible, affordable, and less complex to manage.

How to gather first-party intent data

Your website is the best place to begin. Tools like Albacross let you see which companies are visiting your site, which pages they’re viewing and how long they’re spending there. While it won’t identify individuals (GDPR prevents that), it narrows things down enough for sales and marketing to investigate.

For example, if a company spends 12 minutes on your pricing page, chances are high that someone senior is researching solutions. Sales can then use LinkedIn Sales Navigator to identify the likely person behind that activity and begin outreach.

Pair this with HubSpot or another CRM to track individual user journeys. If someone fills out a form, downloads a guide or attends a webinar, you’ll see which other pages they browse and which campaigns they’ve interacted with. This highlights your most engaged leads.

Email is another overlooked goldmine. If someone consistently opens and clicks through your newsletters, particularly if they land on the pricing page multiple times, that’s intent worth acting on.

Finally, don’t forget product usage. Free trial behaviour tells you who’s serious and who’s drifting away. Someone logging in daily but not upgrading when the trial ends deserves a timely nudge from your sales or customer success team.

Making use of third-party intent data

Third-party signals broaden your reach beyond your own website. Review platforms such as G2 and Capterra can tell you which companies are comparing you to competitors. Crunchbase alerts you when businesses raise funding, a classic moment when budgets open up.

Hiring data is another strong indicator. If a company is advertising for a new HR manager or IT director, they’re probably investing in related software. Tools like Clay or Rocks and Gold provide this intelligence.

For larger budgets, enterprise-grade platforms such as Bombora and 6sense aggregate vast amounts of behavioural data to pinpoint companies researching specific products or attending industry events. These services are pricey but can be game-changing for scaling SaaS firms.

The role of LinkedIn

LinkedIn itself is a powerful (and often underused) source of intent. Profile visits, connection requests, likes, comments and follows all provide clues. If those engaging with your posts sit neatly in your ICP, treat that as a signal.

The most effective SaaS companies align leadership content with sales activity. When founders or senior leaders post thought leadership, sales teams monitor the activity closely and follow up with the right people. This is intent-driven selling in its purest form.

Bringing sales and marketing together

One of the biggest mistakes is treating intent data as a purely marketing initiative. In reality, its power comes when sales and marketing use it together.

Sales should prioritise outreach to prospects showing intent, referencing the activity directly. For example: “I noticed you attended the HR Tech event, I’d love to share how we’ve helped similar companies.”

Meanwhile, marketing can double down on these same accounts with highly targeted ads. LinkedIn makes this simple. Upload lists of companies that have attended your webinars, visited your site or viewed your CEO’s profile, then run bespoke campaigns aimed only at them.

This combination of warm outreach and relevant advertising is far more effective than cold prospecting.

Where to start

If the budget is limited, begin with a basic tool like Albacross to track visiting companies. Pair it with HubSpot to follow engaged users across your site. Layer in email engagement and trial usage to build a clearer picture of who’s showing interest.

As your pipeline grows, explore review site insights, Crunchbase alerts and job board signals. Then, if resources allow, experiment with enterprise-level tools to expand your reach.

The key is not to do everything at once, but to start somewhere and build momentum.

Final thoughts

Intent data shifts you from hope-based marketing to precision targeting. Instead of wasting money on the 95% of your ICP who aren’t buying, you can focus on the 5% who are actively searching, comparing and deciding.

The difference this makes to your sales pipeline is huge. Fewer wasted calls. Lower ad spend. Higher conversions.

If you’re serious about scaling your SaaS business, don’t ignore intent data. Start simple, learn quickly, and expand your approach as you grow.

And if you’d like tailored guidance on how to apply intent data in your marketing strategy, book a free strategy call with Rocket SaaS today.

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By Ryan James

Founder of Rocket SaaS