Isn't it on the right side of question mark? On my nordic keyboard it is and you just need to press shift and backtick key. I don't see how it's too difficult.
Yes. But to me it feels far away compared to the quotes. And depending on the editor, it may end up above a letter if you forget to press space. For example "à". It can be a bit annoying.
Try the Neo layout, optimized for writing german, english and programing. It places the most used letters and symbols under your strongest fingers. Absolutely worth the effort, QWERTX is a pain in comparison.