The short answer
Most owners check their business online by typing its name. A new customer doesn't know your name yet. This two-minute test shows you what they see instead, and all you need is your phone. Each step comes with what it tells you.
1. Open a private window
What to do. Open a private window in your phone's browser. It is called "Private" on an iPhone and "Incognito" in Chrome.
What it tells you. Nothing yet. It makes the test fair. Google remembers what you have looked at before and shows you your own business more often than it shows it to anyone else.
2. Search for what you sell, not your name
What to do. Type what a customer would type, with the town: "cafe Inverurie" or "dog groomer near me". Look at the first screen without scrolling.
What it tells you. Whether someone who has never heard of you can find you at all. If you are not on that first screen, most new customers will choose from the businesses that are.
3. Find yourself on the map
What to do. Tap the map at the top of the results and look for your business. Check the opening hours, the phone number and the photos.
What it tells you. If you are there with the right details, the most important thing is already working. If the details are wrong or the photos are old, that is a fifteen-minute fix in your Google Business Profile. If you are not on the map at all, your listing has probably never been claimed, which is free to do.
4. See where your link leads
What to do. Go back to the results and tap the first one that mentions your business.
What it tells you. Who is introducing you. If it opens your own website, good. If it opens Facebook or a directory, customers are meeting you on someone else's page, often with other businesses listed beside you.
5. Time how long it takes to find your hours
What to do. Now search for your business by name, tap the first result, and count the seconds until you can see today's opening hours.
What it tells you. How patient a customer has to be. If it took you more than ten seconds, it will take everyone else that long too, and they know the place less well than you do.
How often should I do this?
Every few months, and whenever your hours change. Ask a friend to try it as well. They will search in words you would not think of.