[rchaud]

But that's the point. SEO is not just about putting up big traffic numbers for its own sake. SEO is a means to an end, the end being conversion into something. A sales funnel, an email subscriber list, or a product sale. For that, you need targeted leads. If you write a big piece on Javascript but aren't offering a JS course or upsell of some sort, you'll get a lot of traffic that won't actually convert into anything.

Otherwise, if you're truly writing for passion's sake, then SEO shouldn't be part of the rationale to begin with.

[user5994461]

That's arguable. Considering a shop, SEO is getting people to enter the shop and conversion is getting people to buy something.

SEO does stand on its own really. There are no sales without visitors. On the other hand if you have visitors you can try to sell them something, anything really.

Ironically the internet is all about advertising and eye balls. With the author speaking of a million visitors a month, he can certainly monetize in many ways.