If you’re in outbound sales, you know the drill: too many leads, not enough time, and lots of guessing about who’ll actually pick up the phone. The promise of intent data is simple—figure out who might care before you waste hours chasing ghosts. But how do you actually use “Browse intent data” without getting lost in dashboards and hype? This guide cuts through the noise. If you’re running or supporting an outbound sales team, here’s how to spot real buying signals, focus your time, and avoid the usual dead ends.
What is Browse intent data, really?
Before you jump in, let’s get clear on what this stuff is. "Browse intent data" means tracking which companies are visiting your website, what pages they’re hitting, and how often. The idea is: if someone at Acme Corp is reading your pricing page twice a week, there’s a good chance they’re shopping. Tools like Browse collect this data, try to guess which company IPs map to real businesses, and let you see which companies are showing interest—even if they haven’t filled out a form.
What intent data isn’t: - Magic mind-reading. It tells you which company, not which person. - A guarantee that any visit means sales interest (sometimes people just click around). - A replacement for actual conversations or research.
Step 1: Get your Browse intent data set up right
If you’re not already running a tool like Browse, you’ll need to get it up and running on your site. This usually means:
- Dropping a tracking script on your site (just like Google Analytics).
- Making sure you’re GDPR/CCPA compliant—nobody likes legal headaches.
- Connecting your CRM or sales tools, so you don’t have to bounce between tabs.
Pro tip: Don’t go overboard with integrations and workflows on day one. Start simple—just get the data flowing before you try to automate everything.
Step 2: Define what a “hot prospect” actually looks like
Intent data is only useful if you know what “intent” means for your business. Don’t just chase anyone who lands on your homepage.
Ask yourself:
- Which pages actually show buying interest? (Pricing, case studies, comparison pages? Not your careers page.)
- How many visits in a week or month would make you sit up and take notice?
- Are there specific industries, company sizes, or geographies you care about?
What to ignore: - Random single visits, especially from ISPs or universities. - Companies that don’t match your target customer profile (unless you’re desperate).
Set some ground rules. For example: - “If a company visits our pricing page 2+ times in a week, flag them.” - “Ignore companies with fewer than 50 employees.”
Write these criteria down and stick to them. Otherwise, your sales team will end up chasing every tire-kicker on the internet.
Step 3: Build a simple “intent score” for each account
Don’t overcomplicate this. Most teams get stuck building a “predictive model” and never actually use it. Instead, just make a short list of behaviors that matter and assign simple points for each.
For example: - +2 points: Visited your pricing or demo page - +1 point: Viewed a case study or customer story - +1 point: Multiple visits in one week - -1 point: Only visited your blog or careers page
Tally up the score for each company every week. Anyone with a score above a certain threshold goes to the top of the outbound list.
Pro tip: You can do this in a spreadsheet. You don’t need a fancy dashboard to start.
Step 4: Prioritize outreach—don’t just spray and pray
Now that you’ve got a ranked list, focus your outbound energy on the top scorers. Here’s what works:
- Personalize your outreach. Even if you only know the company, reference the pages they viewed: “I noticed folks from [Acme] were checking out our pricing page. Happy to answer any questions.”
- Move fast. Intent signals fade quickly. If someone’s shown interest, reach out within a day or two—not weeks later.
- Mix channels. Don’t just send a cold email. Try LinkedIn, phone, or even direct mail if you’re feeling old-school.
What doesn’t work: - Sending generic blasts to everyone on the list. You’ll burn your reputation and get ignored. - Waiting for “perfect” data. You’ll never have 100% certainty, so act on the best signals you’ve got.
Step 5: Track what actually leads to meetings (and what doesn’t)
Here’s the part most teams skip: measure what works. After a month, look back and see which intent signals actually led to conversations, demos, or deals.
- Did people who visited the pricing page convert more?
- Are certain industries or company sizes more responsive?
- Are some signals just noise?
Cut ruthlessly. If a signal isn’t leading to meetings, stop chasing it. Focus on what’s actually working.
Pro tip: Talk to your reps. They know which signals are real and which ones are duds.
Step 6: Refine, repeat, and ignore the hype
Intent data can help you focus, but it’s not a silver bullet. Here’s what to keep in mind as you go:
- Don’t get stuck in analysis paralysis. It’s better to work a decent process than chase perfection.
- Expect false positives. Sometimes people browse for research, not buying. That’s life.
- Don’t let the data replace human judgment. Use it as a guide, not gospel.
What to ignore (seriously):
- “AI-powered” intent scoring that you can’t explain
- Overly complex dashboards with 50+ filters
- Chasing every company that clicks your blog
Stick to the basics, and you’ll be ahead of most outbound teams.
Quick Summary: Keep it simple, iterate often
Browse intent data can save you a ton of wasted effort—if you use it to focus, not complicate. Set clear rules for what matters, start with a simple scoring system, and double down on what’s actually working. Ignore the hype, listen to your sales reps, and don’t be afraid to tweak your process as you go. Outbound is always a grind, but with a little intent data, you can spend more time talking to real buyers and less time guessing.