I remember the first thing people loved about Google search was its simplistic interface. Since then, Google have been tweaking their design many times, but it still remained rather simple (and almost clutter-free).

However you can't please everyone and Google search results pages can hardly be customized to fit everyone's needs and tastes.

Luckily, with help of the following Greasemonkey scripts, you can try to adjust Google's interface to your own preferences (Note: I don't recommend installing them all, just pick the ones that seem to be most useful for you).

1. SearchJump: Switch To Other Search Engines

SearchJump is a Greasemonkey script that adds a a search sidebar to redirect to the same search in other engines.

Enhances productivity: faster switching between search engines (between: Google, Yahoo!, Bing, Ask, etc)

Google productivity

A similar one: Try This Search On

Google Anonymizer (or a similar Greasemonkey script: Disable Google Search Result Redirect) removes tracking from a Google results page.

Enhances productivity: faster copy destination URLs right from the Google search results page:

Before:

Remove redirects

After:

Remove Google redirects

3. Google Speed Dial: Keyboard Shortcuts

Google Speed Dial: allows you to navigate Google search results using keyboard shortcuts.

Enhances productivity: press 1 on the keyboard to go to the first result, press 2 to go the 2nd etc...Use 0 to go to the 10th (works only for top 10 results).

4. Shortcuts To Navigate Results Pages

Keyboard Shortcuts for Google Search: allows to navigate Google search results pages using keyboard shortcuts.

Enhances productivity: faster navigate results pages and faster edit the search query:

  • n - Go to the next page
  • p - Go to the previous page
  • e - Select the query to edit it
  • a - To add something to the search query

5. No Clutter From Ads

Push Google Search Ads Right

Enhances productivity: don't get distracted by Google advertisements that appear above the search results: less scrolling as well.

Before:

Google productivity: push ads right

After:

Push Google Ads Right

OR: just remove Google sponsored links all over.

6. Google Results In Two Columns

Google Two Columns is a Greasmonkey script that shows the search results in two columns

Enhances productivity: more information available at a glance which means less scrolling:

Goolge two columns

Google Bump: multi-search and inline player (customized)

Enhances productivity:

  • Search multiple search engines and multiple terms with one click (all search results will open in new tabs);
  • Image and video search results on the same page with general search (together with in-line image and video previews);
Google Bump

8. Google MonkeyR: previews and favicons

GoogleMonkeyR: Page previews and favicons

Enhance productivity: faster recognize familiar pages from within Google search results.

Additional options (all can be customized):

  • Turn-off Google tracking;
  • Show results in multiple columns;
  • Remove "sponsored" links;
  • Open links in new tabs;
  • Auto-load more results;
  • Numbered results:
GoogleMonkeyR

9. Google Search Sidebar: More Information At A Glance

Google Search Sidebar: adds a sidebar with search results from Dictionary.com, Wikipedia, Flickr, and Youtube.

Enhances productivity: more information is available at a glance, less time searching the web and doing research.

Google search sidebar

Now your turn: do you use any other Greasemonkey script to increase your Google searching productivity?