Google gets it from all angles at all times – the criticism, that is. In the search industry, it’s an everyday thing. It comes with the territory of search market dominance. Google obviously has a lot more to its brand than search, however, and according to a new report from YouGov BrandIndex, the company’s perception among U.S. consumers is on the rise. Perhaps even more notably, Google+‘s brand perception is trending upwards.

“Google may not have many fans with privacy advocates and some reports indicate Google Plus is a ‘ghost town,’ but they are both the biggest gainers in consumer perception for the month of April,” a spokesperson for YouGov BrandIndex tells WebProNews.

The firm says it chalks up Google’s gains to Google Glasses creating a buzz in social media and a spot on the Jon Stewart show, Instagram arriving in Google Play, and the annual Google Doodle contest.

“Google+‘s major navigation overhaul last month apparently went over well with consumers,” the spokesperson says. Here’s a detailed look at that.

Netflix also saw a noteworthy rise in the firm’s index, which may be because of its intent to release new Arrested Development episodes and its Xbox 360 app upgrade.

To get its results, YouGov analyzes over 1,100 brands, measuring them with its own “Buzz score” concept. It asks respondents: “If you’ve heard anything about the brand in the last two weeks, through advertising, news or word of mouth, was it positive or negative?” Scores range from 100 to -100, and are compiled by subtracting negative feedback from positive, the firm explains. 0 means equal positive and negative feedback.