Not all leads are created equal. If you’re in sales or marketing and trying to find the right accounts, you know the pain of wading through endless lists of companies that just aren’t a fit. That’s where advanced search filters in ZoomInfo come in handy—they’re your shortcut to building smarter, tighter prospect lists. This guide cuts through the clutter and shows you, step by step, how to actually use those filters to carve out target markets that matter.
It’s for anyone who’s tired of wasting time on “spray and pray” outreach and wants to use ZoomInfo for focused, realistic market segmentation. No hype—just what works, what doesn’t, and what to skip.
Step 1: Get Really Clear on Your Ideal Customer
Before you even log into ZoomInfo, do yourself a favor and write down what your best-fit accounts actually look like. This saves you a ton of time later.
- Company size: Employee count, revenue, growth stage.
- Industry: Be specific—“tech” is too broad.
- Location: Country, region, or even city if you’re local.
- Tech stack: What tools do they already use?
- Pain points: What problems do you help them solve?
Pro tip: If you have actual closed-won deals, use them as your starting point. Don’t just guess—look at the data.
Step 2: Open ZoomInfo Advanced Search—Skip the Basics
Once you’re logged in, don’t bother with the basic search. Head straight to the Advanced Search panel—it’s usually labeled “Advanced” or found in the sidebar. This is where the real filtering power lives.
Advanced Search lets you stack multiple filters, so you can get hyper-specific. This is the only way to avoid generic, bloated lists.
Step 3: Set Up Your Core Filters
Here’s what actually matters—and what usually doesn’t.
1. Company Size (Employees and Revenue)
- Why use it: Cuts out tiny businesses or massive enterprises if they’re not your target.
- How: Use the “Employee Count” and “Annual Revenue” filters. Don’t go too broad—pick a range that matches your best customers.
- What to ignore: Vanity metrics like “number of social followers.” They rarely translate to buying power.
2. Industry and Sub-Industry
- Why use it: “Technology” can mean SaaS, hardware, MSPs, or something totally different. ZoomInfo lets you filter by NAICS/SIC codes or industry keywords.
- How: Use the “Industry” dropdown, and drill down as far as you can. Don’t trust generic labels—double-check company profiles for accuracy.
- What to watch out for: ZoomInfo’s industry tags can be hit-or-miss. Always click into a few records to sanity-check.
3. Location
- Why use it: Nothing wastes time like reaching out to companies you can’t do business with due to geography.
- How: Set by country, state, city, or even zip code. If you sell only in the US, filter out everything else.
- Pro tip: Filtering by HQ location is usually safer than “all locations,” which can pull in subsidiaries and branches you don’t want.
4. Technology Used (Technographics)
- Why use it: If your product integrates with Salesforce, target companies that actually use Salesforce.
- How: Use the “Technologies Used” filter—type in the platform or tool. But don’t expect 100% accuracy; ZoomInfo’s tech data is good, not perfect.
- What to ignore: Overly niche or obscure tools—if you get zero results, broaden your search.
5. Intent Data (Optional, and Use with Skepticism)
- Why use it: In theory, intent data surfaces companies researching topics related to your offering.
- How: Add intent topics, but don’t treat this as gospel. ZoomInfo’s intent data is often noisy and can generate false positives.
- What to watch out for: If you build your entire segment around intent signals, you’ll get a messy list. Use it as a bonus layer, not a foundation.
6. Contact Filters
- Title/Function: Target decision-makers, not interns.
- Seniority: “Director and above” is a safe start.
- Department: Sales, IT, HR, etc.
Pro tip: Don’t overfilter. The more requirements you stack, the smaller your list—and you might miss real opportunities. Start broad, then tighten as you go.
Step 4: Layer Filters—But Don’t Go Overboard
This is where most people get tripped up. Yes, you can add dozens of filters, but every extra filter risks excluding a good fit. Here’s a solid approach:
- Start with 2-3 main filters (industry, size, location).
- Add one or two more (tech used, contact title) if you’re getting too many results.
- Regularly check your results count. If you’re down to under 50 companies, you’ve probably gone too far.
What to ignore: Gimmicky filters like “recently funded” or “news mentions” unless you have a very specific reason. They’re mostly distracting.
Step 5: Save and Name Your Segments Clearly
ZoomInfo lets you save your filter sets as “Saved Searches” or “Segments.” Always name them something you’ll actually recognize in a month—think “US SaaS, 100-500 Emp, Uses HubSpot.”
- Keep a running list of your top-performing segments.
- Don’t be afraid to delete or rework segments that go stale.
Pro tip: If you’re working with a team, use shared naming conventions. Nothing slows you down like “Untitled Segment (3).”
Step 6: Sanity-Check Your Results
Don’t trust the list blindly. Click into a few companies. Are they really in your target market? Or are there oddballs slipping through?
- Look for obvious mismatches—wrong industry, way too small, etc.
- Adjust your filters if the sample doesn’t match what you want.
What to ignore: Don’t obsess over perfection. No data source is flawless. You just want “good enough” to start outreach.
Step 7: Export and Work the List—But Keep It Fresh
Export your segment or sync it to your CRM, but remember: market data decays fast. People change jobs, companies reorg, and tech stacks shift.
- Re-run your saved searches every few weeks or months.
- Prune out bounced emails and dead accounts regularly.
- If you get lots of bad data, tighten your filters or try different ones.
What Actually Works (and What Doesn’t)
Works well: - Narrowing by a few core filters (industry, size, location) - Using technographics if your product depends on other tech - Focusing on real decision-makers
Doesn’t work: - Overloading your search with every possible filter - Relying solely on intent data or “hot leads” flags - Expecting perfect accuracy—there’ll always be some duds
Ignore: - Vanity filters or anything that sounds too good to be true (“trending companies,” “AI-powered suggestions”). Stick to what you can verify.
Pro Tips for Going Faster
- Clone and tweak: Duplicate a saved segment and adjust just one or two filters to test new markets.
- Bulk edit: Use ZoomInfo’s bulk actions to tag or export lists—don’t do it one at a time.
- Feedback loop: Track which segments actually convert, not just which have the biggest lists.
Market segmentation with ZoomInfo isn’t magic—it’s mostly about being clear on what you want and staying disciplined with your filters. Keep it simple, check your results, and don’t be afraid to adjust as you learn. The perfect list doesn’t exist, but a good, actionable segment beats a bloated one every time. Start small, iterate, and you’ll spend less time chasing bad leads—and more time closing real ones.