In PHP, what are the implications of including HTML elements like links within PHP code, and how can this impact functionality and best practices?

Including HTML elements like links within PHP code can make the code harder to read and maintain. It is generally considered best practice to separate HTML markup from PHP logic by using a templating engine like Twig or separating HTML into separate files. This helps improve code organization and readability.

<?php
// Separate HTML markup from PHP logic
?>
<a href="example.com">Link</a>