Trustpilot has emerged as one of the early beneficiaries of the shift towards artificial intelligence-based search, reporting a strong rise in profits and a rise in its share price after a year of strong growth driven by the increasing presence of large language models.
Shares of the consumer review platform rose as much as 28 percent after results beat market expectations, as investors reacted positively to signs the company is successfully adapting to the changing dynamics of online search. The company reported pre-tax profit of $14.1 million for the year to December, up sharply from $5.2 million a year earlier, supported by stronger customer loyalty and a shift towards higher value contracts.
Sales rose 24 percent year-on-year, with increases recorded in the UK, Europe and the United States. Trustpilot also reported a 16 percent increase in average annual contract value, reflecting its success in reaching the high end of the market and monetizing its platform more effectively.
Key to this achievement was the company’s growing visibility in AI-powered search environments. According to Trustpilot, click-through rates on AI-driven platforms have increased more than fifteen-fold in the past year, showing how quickly consumer behavior is shifting away from traditional search engines towards conversational interfaces powered by large language models.
The company has actively opened its data to these platforms, allowing its reviews to appear in AI-generated responses. According to Promptwatch data, Trustpilot was the fifth most mentioned domain globally on ChatGPT in January, a position that has significantly increased its reach and relevance.
CEO Adrian Blair called artificial intelligence a “big tailwind” for the company, noting that visibility within AI search has become a key selling point when interacting with customers. As companies increasingly focus on how they appear in AI-generated responses, Trustpilot’s collection of verified consumer feedback has become a valuable asset in the emerging search ecosystem.
Analysts said the results were an early indication that the shift from traditional search to AI-powered discovery could produce new winners, particularly for platforms based on user-generated content. Analysts at Investec noted that Trustpilot’s performance shows how this shift could benefit companies whose data is highly relevant to AI-driven queries.
Alongside the profit growth, Trustpilot announced a £30m share buyback program, including £7.5m for its employee pension fund, signaling confidence in its financial position and long-term prospects. The company also increased its medium-term profitability targets and forecast adjusted EBITDA margin to increase from 15.6 percent in 2025 to 25 percent in 2028 and 30 percent in 2030.
The strong results mark a recovery after a turbulent period for the company’s share price. In December, Trustpilot came under scrutiny after short seller Grizzly Research alleged questionable practices in dealing with non-paying customers. The company vigorously denied the allegations and issued a detailed rebuttal, helping to stabilize investor sentiment after an initial sell-off.
The stock was also affected by a broader downturn affecting software companies earlier this year, but the latest results suggest Trustpilot may be structurally better positioned than many peers in an AI-driven market.
Blair emphasized that the company’s core offering is fundamentally different from other technology companies. While AI can aggregate and present information, he argued, it cannot replicate the real-world customer experiences that underpin Trustpilot’s platform.
As artificial intelligence continues to transform the way consumers search, discover and evaluate brands, Trustpilot’s ability to embed itself into this ecosystem appears to drive both immediate performance improvements and longer-term strategic value.
