Looking for a good SEO company?

Hi Redditors,

So we have an online business and we are having a lot of hassle with our previous SEO parties. We feel like we don't get what we actually pay for. That being said, we have a little to no knowledge regarding SEO, however we pay a lot of money on a monthly basis and the results are meager.

We recently even dropped back from top 3 position to somewhere on the bottom of the first page on Google. I also started to check ahrefs for the backlinks we have, and I don't know what defines a good quality backlink however I am seeing vage websites filled up with multiple articles for shabby businesses.

We are based within The Netherlands and our primary focus is the Dutch / Belgian market, so preferably we would work with a company based within The Netherlands or Belgium as they know the language etc.

What are the things I have to look for whilst looking for a good SEO partner? And what are some things I can do myself to stay alert and not getting "screwed".

Thanks in advance!