• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, July 23, 2008

LinkedIn has struck a deal with The New York Times that will let members of the social network see recent stories related to their fields on the business and technology pages of NYTimes.com.

A branded headline feature in those sections will highlight the five latest Times articles for LinkedIn readers based on their non-personally identifiable profile information. Someone who works in the energy sector, for instance, would see stories tied to the energy industry.

Readers would also be able to share and discuss stories with LinkedIn users in their networks through a new feature in the share tool found on all the article pages of NYTimes.com. Through the alliance, both sides aim to sign up new members.

The Times said the partnership would also expand its ability to offer targeted advertising within the business community. "Advertisers are constantly looking for context, content and quality brands and this approach delivers just that," said Denise Warren, senior vice president and chief advertising officer at The New York Times Media Group, in a statement.

NYTimes.com had 17.7 million visitors in June, according to Nielsen Online. Among the top 10 social networks, LinkedIn was the fastest-growing in June, almost tripling traffic from the year-earlier period to 9.5 million. Last month, the site raised $53 million in venture capital for a total of $80 million to date.