This Tuesday, an amendment was passed in North Carolina that declares marriage between one man and one woman as the only legally recognized domestic union in the state. This not only effectively banned same-sex marriages, but also civil unions.

The executive committee for this amendment claims that its passing merely shows that North Carolina residents are defending the traditional idea of marriage; however, the following day, President Obama made a monumental public statement expressing his support not just for civil unions, as he has in the past, but for same-sex marriage.

His announcement received shock, applause, outrage, and critique in equal doses. While religious conservatives and extremists alike made the typical, “Obama is an agent of Satan,” comments on every corner of the Internet, many others, including famous household names, have applauded the president for what both sides of the issue consider a bold move.

Snooki and JWoww from the popular reality TV show Jersey Shore expressed their pride in a president who supported equal rights for the gay community. Prominent members of the LGBT community expressed their gratitude to the president, including beloved comedian and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres who applauded Obama for what she considered a brave move during an election year.

Despite Obama’s explanation of his personal “evolution” regarding same-sex marriage, people supporting either side of this polarizing issue, including Bristol Palin, claimed that this was purely a political move to gain votes. Others, gay rights activists in particular, expressed their hesitation to commend the president because his statement alone could not effect the changes sought out by the LGBT population and its supporters.

Now political analysts are pondering how these events will affect the elections in November. Regardless of your stance on the issue, you can stay informed about legal, societal, and political issues pertaining to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered population through Best of the Web. Whether seeking news updates, blogs and commentary, or educational information, you can find reliable resources provided to you through the BOTW Directories.

Recently it has come to light that the FBI has been meeting with representatives from top Internet companies — such as Yahoo, Microsoft, Google, and Facebook — in pursuit of backdoor access for surveillance purposes.

Currently the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) — a movement that was passed by lawmakers in 1994 — requires telecommunication providers to make their systems “wiretap-friendly.” This same law was expanded upon just 10 years later, in 2004, to apply to Internet service providers as well. Until recently, web companies have not been affected by this law.

Now the FBI is coordinating these meetings under the radar (like most things involving The Bureau) to argue the case for a legislative proposal that would require not only service providers but also the aforementioned web companies, social networking sites, and email providers to modify their products to be more accessible for surveillance.

Additionally, it has been mentioned that the FCC is now considering a reinterpretation of CALEA to include video and VoIP products. Although likely to go unnoticed by most, these changes will affect every Internet user and their friends and family members.

While most Facebook users, for instance, do not hesitate to agree to privacy setting changes, any who take the time to read and comprehend these updates will find reason to take pause. If the FBI‘s proposed wiretap-friendly services are accepted, social networking platforms and their users will be powerless against government-authorized invasions of privacy. So far, that is something that few are entirely at ease with, regardless of the legality of their standard activity on the social platform.

In the olden days of 1994, when the Internet was just beginning to make its way into businesses and households, Best of the Web got its start by enabling Internet users to nominate and vote for the best websites in a variety of categories. Since then, it has matured into not one but multiple editor-built directories. Today, whether the topic at hand is choosing a college, refinancing a mortgage, or leading a more eco-friendly life, users can always rely on the BOTW Directories to find authoritative information and resources.

In honor of 18 successful years, we’ve implemented new features on all directory products. For the first time, BOTW customers can add direct links to their brand’s Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+ profiles alongside  a directory listing or sponsorship. In addition to these permanent changes, we’re celebrating with our biggest discount of the year!

Today only, submit to the Web Directory, UK Directory, Blogs Directory, or Local Directory with the promo code SINCE94 to receive a 50% discount! Annually-recurring listings cost only $74.95 each year, or $149.95 at the Lifetime rate during this one-day sale. Customers can use this promo code to sponsor a category in the directory for only $24.95 each month (after a 30-day free trial for first-time sponsors). Users can also list their brick & mortar business in the Local Directory with advanced, Premium features for only $4.95 per month (or $49.95 at the annual rate) with this discount.

Sales are a great way to spread the festive spirit, but no birthday is complete without some presents. All day today we’re running a free giveaway through Twitter and Google+. To enter once, simply mention @BOTW on Twitter with the tag #since94.  You can also post to Best of the Web on Google+ with the same tag for two entries. Throughout the day, winners will be chosen at random to receive some great prizes including an array BOTW gear, like our classic hoodie, or free directory submissions!

Stay tuned into Twitter, Google+, and Facebook all day long to help us celebrate in style. Most importantly, don’t forget to make your half-priced directory submissions before the clock strikes midnight and this limited-time sale ends!

Recent polls show that there are approximately 6 million more Internet users over the age of 65 than there were just five years ago. In a span of 30 days, more than 47% of seniors active on the web were searching for health care information or services according to reports from NielsenWire.

Now the senior population online as well as their loved ones can benefit from a one-stop resource for all senior housing, assisted living, and related eldercare needs. The new and improved Senior Housing Directory provides a comprehensive resource for all things relating to senior health. The primary feature of the directory is a local senior housing search tool based on location. It includes listings for adult day and home care services, Alzheimer’s care, both assisted and independent living facilities, residential care homes, and senior apartments.

Aside from these listings, the Senior Housing Directory provides in-depth information relating to the aforementioned topics including overviews of each type of housing option, a guide to determining the best eldercare solution for a loved one, and details about long term care insurance. Additionally, the Senior Housing Blog offers not only authoritative information relating to these topics, but also financial and lifestyle advice for independently living seniors.

Best of the Web is dedicated to providing meaningful guidance to Internet users seeking information pertaining to senior health. Through the new Senior Housing Directory, seniors and their families alike can not only pinpoint local and practical solutions to eldercare issues, but also interact with caregivers through discussion forums. Meanwhile there also remain countless senior health resources available in the Web Directory as well as the Blogs Directory.

In recent years, brands have learned to integrate traditional SEO methods with the social networking scene. The intent is always to increase visibility, and so in many ways, the concepts behind traditional and social SEO efforts are similar; however, in the quickly evolving world of social media, there are some newer, strictly social SEO strategies that all brands should be implementing.

• Google+ Presence

We’ve discussed here before why Google+ is an essential tool for a business’s SEO strategy. Although the consumer audience has not quite caught onto the G+ hype, Google remains the most commonly used search engine online, and implements data from their social networking platform in search results. Being added to a social circle as well as getting +1s and shares are all ways to directly boost your brand’s ranking in search engines.

• Refresh Relationships with Followers

Building relationships with customers and fans has always been a primary interest for brands on social networks. Many companies lose sight of this goal after building a strong follower base; this is to serve as a reminder that you need to nurture those relationships, or your early efforts will become relatively meaningless.

Welcome new followers to your circle on G+, implement lists on Twitter, and increase your outreach efforts overall, and your followers — and potential customers — will not come to question whether your page makes quality contributions to their news feeds.

• Share Content & Make Content Shareable

Twitter, Google+, Facebook, and LinkedIn feeds are all indexed by Google now, so it’s more important than ever to share the content you put out. Whether it’s articles, coupon offers, or media, setting your content to automatically publish to your social profiles will earn you better and faster SEO results.

Additionally, make sure your content is mutually shareable. That may sound obvious, but providing shareable content extends beyond getting it retweeted or reblogged. While having your social network updates shared is effective, the content you link to should also provide visitors with the option to share it directly. When someone shares something directly from a website, as opposed to retweeting a brand sharing their own content, it tends to better encourage a second glance among their circles.

• Expand Your Social Networks

Every brand and their parent company is on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. These are the social powerhouses, and deserve the majority of your attention when focusing on social SEO strategy; however, once you’ve established a following on these major social networking platforms, it may be time to branch out.

Look towards the “underground” social networks that are not yet considered mainstream — even those that are focused less on follower interaction and more on sharing, such as Pinterest. It turns out that this newest social platform sends referral traffic comparable to that of Twitter, so it’s worth consideration. Other social sites to connect on include YouTube, LinkedIn, Tumblr, StumbleUpon, and Reddit.