New York Connects, the local “content discovery” project launched late last year by New York Magazine and Clickable, has seen definite progress since its launch last December, according to NYmag.com General Manager Michael Silberman. Silberman spoke to us as part for a broad profile on NYmag.com’s extensive vertical efforts being issued in BIA/Kelsey’s Marketplaces program.

New York Connects enables local businesses to tap into the power of search keyword advertising through easy-to-understand lead generation tactics. Advertisers who sign up get a search campaign optimized for their business to drive qualified leads, a customized landing page and a dashboard to track leads, conversion and ROI.

Initial categories include weddings and dentists, which are frequently featured in New York Magazine. New York Connects makes the multi-category weddings franchise a year round money maker, taking it well beyond the twice-yearly special issues, says Silberman. Home design and spa services are also likely to be added this summer.

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New York Magazine, whose online effort is run by longtime MSNBC.com exec Michael Silberman, has emerged as one of the most ambitious city magazine efforts on the Web, competing directly against city guides and other local services. Yesterday, the site, which leverages a sales force of 100, announced a partnership with Clickable to power its local online advertising.

Clickable itself is gaining steam. The company has expanded beyond its roots in vertical search to include a platform with display ad management as well. Last week, it announced a similar deal with Fox Audience Network.

CEO David Kidder tells us that more than 2,000 sites are currently using the Clickable platform, which provides access to Google, Yahoo and Microsoft. Kidder says that Fox is rolling out the platform in two phases. The first phase will utilize Clickable’s performance-based model. It is a lot of strategic positioning for inventory and integration. The second phase will include several enhanced features, such as click to call.

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