If You’re Buying Intent Data, You Should Know Where It’s Coming From

Intent data is everywhere. Every B2B sales and marketing team wants it. Every data provider swears they have the best version of it.

But here’s the question no one asks enough—where does this data actually come from?

If you’re making decisions based on intent data, you need to know exactly what you’re getting. Otherwise, you’re just gambling with your pipeline.

Let’s pull back the curtain and break down how intent data is really collected, where it comes from, and what makes some of it complete garbage.

The Three Types of Intent Data

Intent data isn’t one-size-fits-all. The quality and accuracy depend entirely on where it’s sourced. Here’s the breakdown:

1. First-Party Intent Data (The Good Stuff)

First-party intent data is the most accurate and reliable because it’s data you collect directly from your own audience. You’re not relying on third parties—you own it.

Where it comes from:

• Website visits and page views (who’s checking out your product pages, pricing, and case studies?)
• Email engagement (who’s opening, clicking, and replying to your outreach?)
• Product usage (if you offer a free trial or freemium product, who’s actually using it?)
• Content downloads (who’s reading your whitepapers, reports, and comparison guides?)
• Event participation (who’s attending your webinars and live demos?)

This data is gold because it’s real behavior from real potential buyers engaging with your brand.

The only downside? It’s limited to your own ecosystem. If a buyer is researching elsewhere, you won’t see it—unless you bring in third-party intent data.

2. Second-Party Intent Data (A Trustworthy Middle Ground)

Second-party intent data is someone else’s first-party data that they share or sell.

Where it comes from:

• Publishing networks – Sites that track content engagement and sell aggregated data.
• Technology partnerships – Platforms that collect intent data and share it with partners.

Example: A B2B tech blog tracks who’s reading articles about CRM software and sells that insight to CRM vendors.

Second-party data is more accurate than third-party data but harder to access. You need to buy it directly from a trusted provider or form partnerships to get it.

3. Third-Party Intent Data (Where It Gets Murky)

Third-party intent data is aggregated from multiple external sources and sold to companies as insights.

Where it comes from:

• Ad networks – Tracks search behavior, ad clicks, and engagement
• Data co-ops – Companies that pool data from multiple sources
• Third-party tracking pixels – Embedded on websites to track visitor behavior
• Lead scraping tools – Pulling data from public sources and social media

This is where you need to be careful. Some third-party intent data is legit, but a lot of it is outdated, misleading, or just plain useless.

How Intent Data Is Collected

Now that we know where intent data comes from, let’s break down how it’s actually gathered.

✔ Website Tracking – Platforms use cookies and pixels to monitor visitor behavior (e.g., time on page, repeat visits).

✔ IP Matching – Some tools match a visitor’s IP address to a company to estimate who’s researching what.

✔ Content Consumption Signals – Platforms track which companies are reading certain topics across the web.

✔ Ad Engagement – Clicks, views, and interactions with targeted ads are logged as signals.

✔ Search Behavior Monitoring – Some platforms track which companies are searching for specific keywords.

Not all of these methods are equally reliable. Some intent data providers claim they can track exact buyer behavior, but in reality, they’re making educated guesses based on indirect signals.

Not All Intent Data Is Good Intent Data

Intent data is only useful if it’s accurate and timely. Bad intent data is worse than having no data at all because it leads you in the wrong direction.

🚩 Outdated intent signals – If someone was researching a solution three months ago, they’re probably not still in the market.

🚩 Low-confidence signals – Just because someone read an article about CRM software doesn’t mean they’re ready to buy a CRM.

🚩 Anonymous or unverifiable sources – If an intent data provider can’t explain where their data comes from, that’s a red flag.

How to Get Intent Data That Actually Works

If you’re using intent data, you need to be sure it’s legit and actionable. Here’s how:

1️⃣ Prioritize first-party data. It’s the most reliable, and you own it.

2️⃣ Vet third-party providers carefully. Ask where the data comes from, how fresh it is, and what intent signals they track.

3️⃣ Cross-check multiple sources. The best approach is to blend first-party and third-party data for a fuller picture.

4️⃣ Focus on recency. Intent signals should be recent—not months old.

5️⃣ Look at intent intensity. One Google search doesn’t mean someone is ready to buy, but multiple engagements across different sources? That’s a strong signal.

You Deserve to Know Where Your Data Comes From

Intent data isn’t magic—it’s just good data used the right way. But if you don’t know where your intent data is coming from, you’re playing a risky game.

The best companies don’t just buy data—they understand it. They know which signals matter, where the data comes from, and how to act on it.

👉 Want intent data that’s actually useful? Let’s talk about how Longcut ensures full transparency.