Bombora Intent Data Review | Features, Pricing & Use Cases

Bombora Intent Data shows which companies are ready to buy.

It tracks online research activity across thousands of websites. This helps sales and marketing teams spot real buying signals early. With Bombora, you can focus on the right accounts instead of wasting time on cold leads.

This guide explains everything you need to know about Bombora. We’ll explain how Bombora Intent Data works, its main features, pros and cons, pricing, and real use cases.

What is Bombora Intent Data?

Bombora Intent Data tells you which businesses are showing more interest in specific topics. These topics are often related to your products and services. This data shows you who wants to buy before they ever fill out a form or call a sales rep.

Bombora’s main product is Company Surge. It measures a company's interest in a topic. It detects when a company's research on that topic is much higher than usual.

This "surge" in activity is a strong signal. It means the account is likely on a buying journey.

Think of it this way. Many companies may fit your customer profile. But only a few are ready to buy today. Bombora helps you focus your time and money on that small, motivated group. It changes your focus from "who could we sell to?" to "who is ready to buy now?"

How Bombora Works: The Power of the Data Cooperative

What makes Bombora different is how it collects data. It does not use bidstream data or scrape public websites. Instead, it is built on the Bombora Data Cooperative.

This Data Co-op is the industry's largest source of consent-based B2B intent signals.

The Bombora Data Cooperative Explained

The Data Co-op is a huge network of over 5,000 B2B websites. This network includes top publishers, analysts, vendors, and more.

Members share anonymous data about their website visitors. In return, they get access to the group's shared insights.

This model creates a powerful cycle:

• More members lead to a broader view of the B2B web.
• A broader view provides more accurate data.
• Better data attracts more high-quality members.

The Data Collection and Analysis Process

Here is how Bombora turns online behavior into useful B2B intent signals:

1. Data Collection: A tag is placed on member websites. This tag captures actions like page views and downloads. The process is based on user consent and protects privacy. ‍
2. Topic Tagging: Bombora's system reads the content being viewed. It maps each piece of content to one of its 13,000+ B2B topics, like "Cloud Security" or "ABM Platforms." ‍
3. Company Identification: The data is then linked to a company, not a person. It does this without using cookies or personal information. ‍
4. Baseline Established: For every company, Bombora learns its normal research habits for each topic. This history is called a "baseline." ‍
5. Surge Score Calculated: The system compares a company's recent research to its baseline. If the activity is much higher than normal, it creates a Company Surge Score. A high score is a strong buying signal.

This method is highly accurate. It shows what is truly unusual, not just normal research. A sudden spike in interest is a powerful signal that something has changed.

A Typical Bombora ABM Workflow

Intent data works best when it is part of a clear process. Here is how a team typically uses Bombora data:

1. Define Your Target Market: First, upload your target account list. Or, you can build a new list in Bombora using filters like industry, company size, and revenue. ‍
2. Select Your Topic Clusters: Next, choose the B2B topics that match the problems you solve. This tells Bombora which research signals to track for you. ‍
3. Analyze the Weekly Surge Report: Every week, Bombora sends a list of accounts showing a "surge" on your topics. This report often goes straight into your CRM. ‍
4. Prioritize and Distribute Accounts: Your team sorts the list by Surge score to find the top accounts. These "hot" accounts are then given to sales reps for outreach. ‍
5. Tailor Your Outreach: Reps use the specific surge topics to create relevant messages. This helps them talk about the account's immediate needs.

This process turns a data feed into a reliable source of new sales opportunities.

Real-World Bombora Use Cases for GTM Teams

Bombora data helps your entire revenue team, from marketing to customer success.

For Marketing Teams 🎯

• Smarter ABM Campaigns: Spend your marketing budget on companies that are already in-market. ‍
• Targeted Advertising: Show ads only to surging companies. This reduces wasted ad spend and boosts results. ‍
• Personalized Content: Create content and website experiences based on what your target accounts are researching. ‍
• Better Lead Scoring: Add Surge data to your scoring. A lead from a surging company is a top priority for sales.

For Sales Teams 📈

• Prioritized Outreach: Reps can start their day with a list of warm accounts. This helps them focus on the best opportunities. ‍
• Relevant Messaging: Knowing an account's interests helps reps start better conversations. ‍
• Find Upsell Opportunities: Watch your current customers for new surge topics. This can show you where to sell more.

For Customer Success Teams 🤝

• Prevent Churn: Get an early warning if a customer starts researching your competitors. This gives you time to step in and help. ‍
• Drive Expansion: See when customers explore new areas. You can then show them how your other products can help.

Accuracy, Privacy, and Compliance

The quality and source of data are very important. Bombora built its platform with this in mind.

• Data Accuracy: Bombora's Data Cooperative model ensures high accuracy. It gets data from many top B2B sites. This gives a clearer picture than other sources, like bidstream data. ‍
• Privacy and Compliance: Bombora follows rules like GDPR and CCPA. The data is consent-based and grouped at the company level. It never tracks or stores personal information.

Bombora Pricing: What to Expect

Bombora does not post its prices online. Its plans are customized for each customer. However, Bombora pricing is usually based on a few factors:

• Number of Topics: How many B2B topics you want to track. ‍
• Data Volume: How many surging accounts you need data for. ‍
• Integrations: Which tools you need to connect with Bombora.

Bombora is best for mid-market and enterprise companies. You need a clear plan to act on the data. While the cost is high, the return on investment can be very strong.

Bombora Integrations: Activating Data in Your Tech Stack

Data is only useful if you can easily act on it. Bombora has many native Bombora integrations that connect to the tools your teams use every day.

Key integrations include:

• CRMs: Salesforce, HubSpot CRM ‍
• Marketing Automation: Marketo, Pardot, Eloqua ‍
• Sales Engagement: SalesLoft, Outreach ‍
• ABM & Advertising: LinkedIn, 6sense, Demandbase, Terminus

These connections put the data right where your teams work. This turns insights into actions.

Bombora Pros and Cons: A Balanced View

Pros 👍

• High-Quality Data: The Data Cooperative is the best source for reliable B2B intent signals. ‍
• Accurate Surge Signals: The baseline method is great at finding real spikes in research interest. ‍
• Privacy-First Design: The platform is built to respect user privacy and follow data laws. ‍
• Many Integrations: It is easy to connect Bombora to your other b2b sales and marketing tools.

Cons 👎

• No Contact-Level Detail: Bombora shows you which company is interested, but not which person. Your team must find the right contacts themselves. ‍
• Signals Need Context: A high Surge® score is a great starting point, but it's not a guarantee. Sales reps still need to qualify the opportunity. ‍
• Niche Coverage Can Vary: Companies in very specific industries might find the topic coverage is too broad. ‍
• High Cost: The price can be too high for small businesses or startups.

Bombora vs. The Competition: Understanding Its Place

The intent data market has many players. But Bombora has a unique role. Platforms like 6sense or Demandbase often include intent data as part of a larger suite. Bombora focuses on being the best source of account-level intent data you can use anywhere.

Its main advantage is its data source. Many others use bidstream data, which can be less accurate. Bombora's data comes from people actively reading content on B2B websites, which is a stronger signal.

Teams use Bombora to answer the first key question: "Which accounts should we focus on?"

Then, they use other tools to answer the second question: "Who are the right people to talk to at those accounts?"

(For a broader market overview, see our guide to the Best Intent Data Providers)

The Final Word

Bombora Intent Data is a critical tool for modern B2B companies. It uses its unique Data Cooperative to give you powerful signals. These signals show you which accounts are moving forward on a buyer's journey.

When you add this data to your workflow, you can stop guessing. You can start talking to the right accounts at the right time with the right message. This helps you focus your energy on the deals that are most likely to close.