If you’re tired of chasing dead-end leads and guessing who’s actually in-market, this one’s for you. This guide breaks down—step by step—how to create and track custom intent signals in Techtarget so you can stop wasting time and start having smarter conversations with the right folks.
This isn’t just for demand gen pros. If you’re in sales, marketing ops, or just fed up with “spray and pray” outreach, you’ll get something useful here. We’ll skip the buzzwords and get straight to what works, what doesn’t, and how to actually act on intent data without spinning your wheels.
Why Custom Intent Signals Matter (and Where Most People Get It Wrong)
Intent data sounds magical, but here’s the dirty secret: most people use it straight out of the box and expect miracles. They end up with giant lists of “interested” accounts but never see a real bump in pipeline. Why? Because generic signals (like “someone from Company X read an article about cloud security”) don’t mean much unless you tailor them to your actual buyers and your sales playbook.
Custom intent signals let you get specific. Instead of “cloud security,” maybe you care about “SIEM for healthcare” or “AWS migration pain points.” The more relevant your signals, the less time you waste on tire-kickers.
If you’re going to spend money on intent data, make it count. Here’s how.
Step 1: Get Clear on What You Want to Track
Before you even log in to Techtarget, get your team on the same page about what a good signal looks like for your business.
Ask yourself: - What topics actually map to our products or services? - Are there competitor names, pain points, or features that matter? - Which job titles or departments usually start the journey?
Pro tip: Don’t go overboard. Three to five custom topics is plenty to start. More signals = more noise.
What to ignore: Don’t track broad, trendy topics just because they’re popular. Stick to what’s truly relevant to your buyers and sales team.
Step 2: Set Up Custom Intent Signals in Techtarget
Once you know what you’re after, it’s time to build those signals in Techtarget.
- Log in to Techtarget Priority Engine.
- Go to the “Topics” or “Intent Signals” section. (Names may shift between versions, but you’re looking for where you can create or manage topics.)
- Start a new custom topic.
- Use keywords that match your ICP (ideal customer profile) and real buying language.
- Include related terms, but avoid stuffing every possible synonym—you want signals, not spam.
- Example: Instead of just “endpoint security,” try “endpoint detection and response,” “EDR tools,” and the names of top competitors.
- Set filters for geography, company size, or industry if your outreach is focused.
- Save and activate your custom topic.
Honest take: The Techtarget UI isn’t always the most intuitive, so budget some time to poke around. If you’re stuck, their support team is actually pretty responsive (rare for B2B tools).
Step 3: Track and Validate the Signals
It’s tempting to just export the list and hand it off to sales, but wait—some signals are duds. You want to sanity-check before you act.
Here’s how to do it right:
- Look for patterns, not one-offs: If only one person from a company shows intent, it’s probably just curiosity. Multiple people = actual interest.
- Check the recency: Fresh signals are gold. Anything older than 30 days is usually stale.
- Compare to your known accounts: Are your best-fit targets showing up? If not, tweak your topics.
- Don’t chase ghosts: If a company keeps showing up but never engages with your outreach, it might be a competitor, a student, or just noise.
Pro tip: Set up a recurring review—weekly or biweekly—to prune topics that aren’t delivering and double down on what is.
Step 4: Integrate Intent Data With Your CRM and Outreach Tools
Intent data is only useful if it’s where your team works. Most people drop the ball here and end up with spreadsheets no one checks.
What to do:
- Push signals to your CRM: Techtarget offers integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, and others. Set up automatic syncs so reps see intent signals right on account records.
- Tag or score accounts based on intent: Add a custom field or flag so sales can prioritize outreach.
- Sync with your marketing automation: Trigger email nurtures or ads for high-intent accounts.
- Alert your team: Set up Slack or email notifications for new hot accounts (but don’t overdo it—alert fatigue is real).
What doesn’t work: Manual exports and email blasts. If it’s not automated, it won’t get used.
Step 5: Build Smarter Outreach (Not Just More Outreach)
Here’s where most teams fumble: They treat all intent signals the same and spam everyone. Don’t do this. Use the data to have better, more relevant conversations.
How to use the signals:
- Personalize your message: Reference the actual topics or pain points the account showed interest in.
- Prioritize accounts: Go after those with the strongest or multiple signals first.
- Time your outreach: Strike while the iron’s hot—don’t wait weeks after a signal.
- Coordinate sales and marketing: Make sure your ads, emails, and calls all reference the same themes.
What to ignore: Generic outreach. “Saw you were interested in security solutions” is too vague. Get specific or don’t bother.
Step 6: Measure What’s Actually Working
Custom intent signals aren’t magic—sometimes they flop. That’s fine, as long as you learn and adjust.
Track: - Reply rates and meetings booked from accounts flagged by intent. - Pipeline created (not just leads or clicks). - Topic performance: Which custom topics lead to real conversations? - False positives: Are you getting junk leads? If so, tighten your criteria.
Quick sanity check: If you’re not seeing better results from intent-driven accounts within a couple months, it’s time to revisit your setup—or your outreach.
What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Watch Out For
Works: - Tight, specific topics that match your sales motion. - Integrating intent data directly into your CRM. - Frequent reviews and tweaks.
Doesn’t work: - Treating all signals as equal. - Piling on too many topics. - Ignoring feedback from your sales team.
Be skeptical of: - Overpromised “AI-powered” recommendations. - Claims that intent data alone will fill your pipeline. - Any tool that makes this look “set it and forget it.” You’ll always need to check for noise and adjust.
Keep It Simple—and Iterate
The best teams don’t overcomplicate this. Start small, see what moves the needle, and adjust as you go. Intent data is a tool, not a silver bullet. Use it to have smarter conversations, not just more conversations.
And remember: No tool replaces real curiosity about your buyers. Custom intent signals just help you focus your time where it counts.