Hello , one of my sites has 5 pages in a row for one keyword phrase. I did not plan this and I believe it is holding my up from gaining first page (currently 2nd) , 1. is this bad? 2. how can I fix? 3. why did this happen? I have checked keyword density for each and every page on the site , all below 4% , any advise appreciated.
Multiple listings for the same keyword won't mean you can't get page 1. Look at this Google result here and you will see a site with four page 1 listings from the same site
I would consider that a good thing if I were you. The more spots you can take for your keywords, the better!
Its definitely a good thing that you have rankings for 5 pages in a row! You are taking up more precious real estate and are getting more clicks. Google is simply finding your site/content more relevant than that of your competitors. Or you have a really high brand authority. Why don't you use 4 of these pages to try to push up the rankings of the best ranking page for that particular keyword? You could do a bit of strategic internal linking.
It is not bad and no need to fix it..It is naturally done by Google as your site is more relevant and having interesting and useful content..