I’m adjusting how I refer to Google’s shopping platform now that Google has dropped “Next” from Merchant Center Next. Going forward, the product is simply called Google Merchant Center.
Google made the change official in a Merchant Center announcement, saying, “The platform you use today will simply be referred to as Google Merchant Center.” For anyone managing product feeds, shopping campaigns, or merchant accounts, this is mainly a naming update rather than a product change.
I remember when Google Merchant Center Next was introduced in 2023 as the newer version of the old Google Merchant Center. Over the past few years, more merchants, site owners, and advertisers moved into that updated experience.
At this point, it appears that Merchant Center Next has effectively become the standard experience. So Google is removing the “Next” branding and returning to the simpler name: Google Merchant Center.
Rows of illuminated data cabinets and paper files stretch into the distance, capturing the pressure on marketers to turn fragmented customer data into a smarter performance engine.
Google said users will start seeing the “Next” branding removed from Help Center articles, email communications, and the Merchant Center interface.
Google also clarified that no action is required and that the name change does not affect existing accounts. In other words, I do not need to update settings, migrate anything, or make account-level changes because of this rebrand.
Why does this matter? When I talk about Google’s merchant tools now, I can leave off “Next” and just call the platform Google Merchant Center. Honestly, that is what many of us were already calling it anyway.
I’m tracking a growing Google Business Profile issue after several days of complaints from businesses that say reviews have disappeared from their local listings. Google has now confirmed that it is investigating the reports, and in some cases, review submissions on affected profiles appear to be paused.
What Google said. Google told us that when its systems detect suspicious review activity, it may take several actions, including removing reviews and temporarily pausing reviews on a profile to prevent further abuse. Google also said it is investigating the issue and will restore any reviews that were incorrectly removed.
What I’m seeing. As I documented on the Search Engine Roundtable, there are dozens of complaints in the Google Business Profile Forums from business owners and local SEOs who say their reviews have mysteriously vanished. In some cases, businesses are also unable to receive new reviews on their local listings.
From what I can tell, Google’s review spam detection systems may be identifying certain patterns and aggressively removing or blocking reviews on suspected Google Business Profiles. What remains unclear is whether this is tied to spammers abusing some profiles, a recent algorithmic adjustment, or Google’s systems becoming overly sensitive.
More details. Amy Toman, a volunteer Google Product Expert for Google Business Profiles, shared on LinkedIn that businesses or clients affected by this issue can post in the forum if they want to, but Google is already aware of the problem and working on it. She also noted that no timeline for a resolution has been provided yet.
She said she is seeing a new pattern where, after fake or spam reviews are reported, some Google listings receive a review block and all reviews are hidden. In at least one case, she said the rating was reduced to 0.
Why I care. If I noticed a sudden drop in reviews or stopped receiving new reviews this week, I would consider this issue a likely explanation. For local businesses, reviews can directly affect trust, visibility, and customer decisions, so even a temporary review disruption can be frustrating.
Google is investigating, and I’m watching to see whether missing reviews are restored and whether affected Google Business Profiles can begin receiving new reviews again.
After nearly 30 years at Microsoft, I am seeing one of Bing’s most influential search leaders close a remarkable chapter. Fabrice Canel announced that he is retiring from Microsoft, writing on LinkedIn, “I am retiring from Microsoft, effective today July 1st.” He also reflected, “Today marks nearly 30 years with Microsoft. Thirty years…”
When I think about Fabrice Canel’s impact, I think first about the foundation of Microsoft Bing Search. He was responsible for indexing at Bing, including crawling, URL discovery, content selection, and content processing. Those areas are core to how search engines understand the web, and Fabrice helped shape them at massive scale.
He was also the person behind the IndexNow initiative, and he played a major role in creating and powering Bing Webmaster Tools. For anyone working in SEO, publishing, or technical search, those contributions matter because they helped make discovery, indexing, and webmaster communication faster and more practical.
I have watched Fabrice contribute far beyond product work. He has spoken at countless industry events, including SMX, and has written extensively about how search works, how sites can perform better in Bing, and how search is evolving with generative AI. He helped run one of the world’s most important search engines, while also giving the SEO community tools, education, and direct insight.
In his retirement message, Fabrice addressed fellow Microsoftees, engineers, attorneys, marketers, webmasters, publishers, SEO champions, product leaders, journalists, people across search and AI, and even friends at Google. His note was warm, personal, and full of gratitude for the people who shaped his Microsoft journey.
He described his three decades at Microsoft as a wonderful adventure, from solving real business problems with IndexNow to helping webmasters and publishers thrive in the constantly changing world of SEO and AI. He thanked colleagues, partners, publishers, and the people he trained and mentored, saying they are ready to carry the mission forward.
Fabrice also shared that, after many conversations with family and friends, he decided to take advantage of Microsoft’s Voluntary Retirement Program. His message ended with the same sense of warmth and storybook style that many in the industry have come to associate with him: gratitude for Microsoft, confidence in the Bing team’s future, and a final wish that everyone stay curious, keep innovating, and make content easier to find.
Why do I care so much about this? Because Fabrice has been a true friend to the search industry. His work will live on through the products, systems, and initiatives he helped create, and his willingness to share knowledge has made a lasting difference for SEOs, publishers, developers, and search professionals.
I know Fabrice has trained a team to continue the work, and I believe Bing remains in good hands. Still, I would be lying if I said I am not sad to see him retire. It has been an honor to work with him and learn from him over the years, and his legacy at Microsoft Bing will be felt for a long time.
I’m deeply saddened to share that Bruce Clay, widely known as the Father of SEO, passed away in late May. Bruce was one of the true founding figures of the SEO industry, having launched a professional SEO agency back in 1996, long before search marketing became the discipline we know today.
For me, Bruce’s impact is hard to overstate. He was the first sponsor of the first-ever SEO conference, and he gave an extraordinary amount of his time, resources and money to help build the search community. Few people have supported this industry for as long, or with as much generosity, as Bruce did.
Tribute video. The Bruce Clay, Inc. team prepared a tribute video honoring Bruce’s life and legacy. It describes him as a pioneer who devoted much of his life to helping the SEO industry grow. During his three decades as CEO of Bruce Clay Inc., he wrote three books, built tools, spoke at conferences, hosted training events and helped the company expand internationally.
Because of Bruce’s founding principles, hundreds of employees around the world have contributed to SEO, and thousands of students have benefited from his experience and teaching.
The Bruce Clay team told me, “We are absolutely heartbroken, but we find strength in the vibrant community and lasting values that Bruce built. Our teams in the U.S. and around the world remain dedicated to carrying forward the mission Bruce loved so dearly.”
Kyle Pouliot, Sr. Video Production Manager at Third Door Media, also shared a personal reflection with me.
“I’ve gotten to know Bruce on a more personal level over these past few years and interacted with him frequently for our online conferences. What I’ve learned about Bruce in that time is that he was genuinely thoughtful and caring about the search community. Never short of an honest opinion, Bruce shared some really practical ideas for Search Engine Land and SMX. He loved sharing his deep experienced knowledge to everyone, it didn’t matter if you were a beginner or 20+ year industry veteran, he treated everyone the same. We talked about the hundreds of golf balls that would find their way into his property every day, food, raising kids and how incredible the weather was in Simi Valley. He will be greatly missed.”
On a personal note, I’ve known Bruce Clay since I entered the SEO industry more than 20 years ago. He was a role model to me, often a mentor, and always someone who was approachable, professional and deeply caring. In many rooms, he was likely the most generous and thoughtful person there.
I loved his SEO talks. I loved meeting him at industry events. And I especially valued the personal emails he sent about shaping the future of our industry. Those moments showed me how much Bruce cared, not just about search, but about the people building it.
