If you search for the meaning of SEO, most references will tell you that SEO is a form of internet marketing to get traffic to a website from Search Engines. However, I do not believe that it is the true meaning or purpose of SEO. I believe Search Engine Optimization is optimizing a website its indexability, and with that the findability of information on a website. And not getting traffic, because that is something not directly related to "making information better to find". What is your opinion on this?
SEO is optimizing your website to be favorable for the majority search engines algorithm for ranking high in results. Of course, this is only one definition, of which there are thousands. I agree with you however that the end result of increased traffic is a result of proper SEO, not necessarily the goal.