Google Inc. has claimed the top spot on Harris Interactive Inc.’s annual poll of corporate reputations, Bloomberg reported.

Johnson & Johnson retained its No. 2 ranking after a year of product recalls, and both companies bested billionaire Warren Buffett’s Omaha-based Berkshire Hathaway Inc., which fell from first place to fourth place in the annual survey.

Robert Fronk, who leads New York-based Harris’ reputation-management practice, said the poll found corporate reputations rebounding as the economy improves.

“There’s still 44 percent who say that the reputation of corporate America is still falling, but that’s down dramatically,” Fronk said. “We are seeing a more positive story beginning to develop.”

Google owns the world’s most popular search engine. Fronk said the company’s financial performance and public admiration for its workers helped catapult it to No. 1.

Harris’ online survey included 30,000 people who ranked the reputations of the 60 most visible companies. St. Paul, Minn.-based 3M Co. and Apple Inc. took third place and fifth place, respectively.