How can using backticks for table and column names improve query performance and readability in PHP?

Using backticks for table and column names in SQL queries can improve query performance and readability in PHP by ensuring that the names are treated as literals and not mistaken for reserved keywords or functions. This can prevent syntax errors and make the code easier to understand. Additionally, using backticks can help prevent SQL injection attacks by properly escaping the names.

$query = "SELECT `column1`, `column2` FROM `table` WHERE `column3` = 'value'";