Both platforms have value but one drives significantly more local business. Here's where to focus your efforts.
For UK service businesses, Google Reviews should be your primary focus. They directly influence your Google Maps ranking, appear in search results alongside your business listing, and are seen by the vast majority of people searching for local services. Trustpilot has its place, but Google Reviews move the needle more.
Google Reviews impact your visibility in three ways: they contribute to your Maps pack ranking, they add star ratings to your organic search results (if you have the right schema markup), and they build trust at the exact moment a potential customer is deciding who to call. No other review platform offers this triple benefit.
Trustpilot is more valuable for businesses with a broader geographic reach or those selling products online. For a local plumber or electrician, Trustpilot reviews are nice to have but they don't appear in Google Maps results and have minimal impact on local search rankings.
If you have limited time and energy for review generation (and every business does), direct 80% of your efforts toward Google Reviews and 20% toward Trustpilot. Display both on your website for maximum social proof, but prioritise Google Reviews in your post-job follow-up process. The local SEO benefits compound over time and directly reduce your cost per lead.