Keyboarding your way through Google searches
The other day I wrote about how I am trying to use the internal trackpad on my MacBook Pro instead of plugging in an external mouse. Since I switched to Mac from Windows I've become quite a heavy keyboard user, mainly because I feel that I am able to multi-task much better, especially when using the combination of LaunchBar and Spaces.Where this breaks down is when I need to do a quick search in Google. I can quickly get to the search box by hitting Command-K in Firefox or Command-L, Tab in Safari (Command-Option-F in Safari is hard to pull off for me). I enter in my keywords and BAM, I've got my search results. But it breaks down once I need to navigate through the results - I pretty much have to grab the mouse.
The reason is that the only keyboard way to navigate through a Google search result is to hit the Tab key like you're playing whack a mole in an arcade. This is because the tab key stops on every link on the page and there are far too many that are not search related.
Then Brian mentioned in the comments to the post that Google is running a keyboard experiment for Google search. Anyone can join the experiment, which adds a greater than (>) symbol to the left of the search results and allows you to use the J and K keys to navigate through the results. You can hit O (or Enter) to open the link or / to go back to the search box.
You can see what it looks like by clicking on this link: David Alison
I was really impressed with the way it sped up my Google search navigation; I didn't have to move to the track pad or grab the mouse when on the Mac Pro, it had minimal impact on the presentation of the page and if I wanted to mouse around it still works as normal.
You can join the experiment yourself and it will add the behavior to the web browser you join the experiment with. If you run two browsers like I do (Safari + Firefox) you will need to join it on each. I've been happily joining the experiment on every machine I use.
Thanks for the great tip Brian!
Comments
You just made me notice that Google Reader (the RSS web app I use to read your blog) already uses these shortcuts! I like the convenience of the Mail app, but needed a web-based reader to use on my school's PCs. Now I know I'll keep using this one.
The way I did it was by implementing the keyboarding addon for Firefox called Mouseless Browsing.
It works best with a 10 keypad, but can also be used with standard keyboard after setting options. It can allow you super accuracy in selecting any link on any webpage using a number for a link.
Works great in Google. The link numbers can be toggled on and off quickly. Accurate, fast. Absolutely no mousing. Especially useful if one uses the tips in David Alison's previous blog posting.
Links below. Try it. Easy to use and install, yet powerful and configurable.
Firefox Addon Page:
http://tinyurl.com/2gllze
or
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/879
Mouseless Browsing Home Page
http://www.rudolf-noe.de/
SimpleLife
PS I no longer use Firefox 'cause I love WebKit and Safari.
If you are disabled like I was and want to learn how to do implement Mouseless Browsing for voice recognition, go to link below:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/5rzjpo
The link is for Windows only, but I'm sure this can be implemented for Macs somehow. It's a complete step-by-step walkthrough with screenshots.
The technology is out there. Learning and finding how to use it the hard part.
Thank goodness for forums and blogs.
Cheers.
I just wish they had a way to open a link in a new background tab somehow.
I'm still having to mouse/trackpad and Command+Click which defeats the whole purpose of it for me. When I'm Googling, I usually select 5-10 tabs in the background, then I go browsing.
Please post if you know how to do this with this Google Experiment.
I really like how the J and K will also automatically go to the next or previous page of the Google search listings.
@Brian: The J & K keys are perfect for me since they are the home keys for a touch typist. O works great too because it's right off that home row.
The nice thing about the Google experiment is that they have a feedback form you can fill out and provide suggestions for improvements. I'm doing that now for SimpleLife's idea.