The internet giant climbed three places from number 7 in last year’s rankings to take number 4 in 2010.
The only other brands to move upwards by more than one place in this year’s top 20 were technology giant Intel, up from number 9 to 7, and iPad inventor Apple, up from 20 to 17.
The top three places remained unchanged, with Coca-Cola, IBM and Microsoft assuming spots 1, 2 and 3 respectively.
GE slipped one place to rank number 5 followed by McDonald’s, which stayed static at number 6.
The Interbrand Best Global Brands ranking is based on analysis of how a brand touches and benefits an organisation, from attracting top talent to delivering on customer expectation.
Three key aspects contribute to a brand’s value; the financial performance of the branded products or services, the role of brand in the purchase decision process and the strength of the brand to continue to secure earnings for the company.