How deep should I go with a directory site?

[fastestmanalive]

I am creating a new site which has a directory component.  Based on what I have ready I am inclined to keep the site architecture as flat as possible.  However, the natural layout that I have come up with in my head has the directory listings 5 or 6 pages deep in the site structure.

I saw in another post that someone in a similar situation was suggesting that going deep like this is fine so long as there are many internal links to the deeper pages to indicate that they are important.

• Should I make a conscious effort to make the site architecture as flat as possible?

• Are there any specific guides/resources that address this particular issue that I should be aware of?

Thanks!

[AlanBleiweiss]

the past couple years, industry thinking had it that architecture should be as flat as possible.  I never held that belief, and all my clients who employed the "2 - 3 layers, 4 at most" policy all sailed through the Panda update.

The issue is as much about deep internal linking as it is about topical organization and a major signal about topical relationships is in folder keyword seeding, along with breadcrumb navigation, supported by inbound links pointing to that 2nd and 3rd layer.