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Google reviews vs Trustpilot: which matters for a local business?

Every review platform will tell you it is the one that matters. For a business people walk into, the honest answer depends on a simpler question: where are your next customers looking when they decide? For most high-street businesses that is a map on a phone, and the reviews sitting underneath your name.

BY CHRIS EVANS · UPDATED 2 OCTOBER 2026 · 6 MIN READ

THE SHORT ANSWER

If customers visit you in person, prioritise Google reviews. They appear in Google Maps and the local results where people choose where to go, they are free, and Google names reviews as part of local prominence. Trustpilot is worth it if you mainly sell online, serve customers nationally, or work in a sector where buyers check Trustpilot first. Ask for one platform at the counter, not both.

Side by side

GOOGLE REVIEWSTRUSTPILOT

Where it appearsGoogle Search, Google Maps and the local results, next to your nameTrustpilot’s own site, Trustpilot widgets, and sometimes in search results

Who reads itPeople nearby choosing where to go, often on a phone, often within minutesPeople researching a purchase, often online and often from anywhere in the country

Local searchGoogle names review count and rating as part of local prominenceNo stated direct effect on Google Maps ranking

CostFreeFree plan, with paid plans for more invitations and features

Best forShops, salons, restaurants, garages, clinics, agents and any walk-in businessOnline shops, national services and sectors where buyers check Trustpilot

IncentivesNot allowedNot allowed

Why Google usually wins for local businesses

When somebody searches for a hairdresser, a garage or somewhere to eat, Google shows a map and a short list of businesses with their star ratings and review counts. That list is where most local decisions are made, and your Google reviews are the only reviews it shows.

Google says local results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence, and that review count and rating are part of prominence. Reviews on your Business Profile are therefore doing two jobs at once: persuading the person reading them, and contributing to whether you appear in the list at all. Our Maps ranking guide covers the other factors.

When Trustpilot is worth it

You sell mainly online. Shoppers comparing online stores often check Trustpilot before they buy.
You serve customers nationally. A business without a single local catchment, such as a delivery service, has less to gain from local results.
Your sector expects it. In some markets, buyers look for a Trustpilot score as a matter of course.
You run Google Ads for an online shop. Trustpilot can feed the seller ratings shown in shopping and search ads.

Plenty of businesses use both. A hybrid business with a shop and an online store might ask walk-in customers for Google reviews and online customers for Trustpilot reviews, by email after delivery.

Do not split the ask

The most common mistake is asking customers at the counter to review “on Google or Trustpilot”. Choice slows people down, and a slower ask means fewer reviews on both. Decide which platform matters most for the customers in front of you, and make that the only ask: one sentence, one tap.

For a local business, that is almost always Google. The front-desk script guide gives your team the words.

One link on the counter

An EvoMaxTap stand is programmed with a single review link, so customers tap their phone and land straight on the right page. Most local businesses choose their Google review link. If Trustpilot matters more to your customers, we can programme the stand to your Trustpilot review page instead. Either way there is one ask, one tap, and nothing for the customer to choose between.

WHERE YOUR NEXT CUSTOMERS LOOK

Put your reviews where decisions are made

Programmed to your review link before it ships. One payment, no subscription, free UK delivery, with our thirty-day money-back guarantee and five-year hardware guarantee.

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Common questions

Are Google reviews or Trustpilot reviews better for a local business?

For a business customers visit in person, Google reviews usually matter more. They appear directly in Google Maps and the local results where people choose where to go, and Google says review count and rating are part of how prominent a business is in local search. Trustpilot matters more for online and national businesses.

Do Trustpilot reviews help my Google Maps ranking?

Google does not say that reviews on other sites affect your Maps ranking directly. Google does say information from across the web plays a part in prominence, but the reviews on your own Business Profile are what searchers see and what Google names as a factor.

Is Trustpilot free for businesses?

Trustpilot has a free plan that lets businesses claim a profile, invite customers and reply to reviews. Paid plans add features such as more invitations, integrations and widgets for your website. Google Business Profile and its reviews are free.

Should a local business use both Google and Trustpilot?

You can, but avoid splitting the ask at the counter. Pick one platform for in-person requests, usually Google for a local business, and keep the ask to one sentence and one tap. Splitting the request between two platforms usually means fewer reviews on both.

Can I offer incentives for reviews on Trustpilot or Google?

No. Google prohibits incentives for reviews, and Trustpilot does not allow businesses to offer incentives in exchange for reviews either. In the UK, concealed incentivised reviews are also banned by law.

When is Trustpilot worth it?

When your customers mostly buy online, you sell across the country, or customers check Trustpilot before buying in your sector. Online shops can also benefit because Trustpilot can feed seller ratings shown in Google Ads.

Can an NFC stand point to Trustpilot instead of Google?

Yes. A stand is programmed with whatever review link you give us. Most local businesses choose their Google review link, but we can programme your Trustpilot review page instead.

Do you offer support?

Yes. We are a UK team and you can reach us seven days a week during normal office hours at sales@evomaxtap.com.